Murdoch Childrens Annual Report 2009 by Murdoch Children's Research Institute

annual report 2009

We often take for granted that when our kids are sick, the doctors and nurses will know what to do to make them better. We forget that past research discoveries have made this possible. As the largest child health research institute in Australia, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute is well positioned to make major discoveries to improve child health. Our strategic research plan ensures our attention is focussed on areas where we have the demonstrated skills to make a difference. Key priority areas include diabetes, allergies, asthma, premature birth and mental health problems which are on the rise in our children and conditions such as cancer and genetic disorders that remain unsolved. Most importantly, we distribute philanthropic funds to our researchers based on performance and research excellence. Your gift to the Murdoch Childrens is an investment in the future health of Australian children. www.mcri.edu.au Front cover photos (top and right) ÂŠ Newspix/Richard Cisar-Wright Back cover photo (bottom left) courtesy The Australian/David Geraghty

MCRI Annual Report 2009

contents About us

Obesity

Year at a glance

Genetics

Message from our Patron

Research highlights

Chairmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report

Students, achievement awards & fellowships

Directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report

Victorian Clinical Genetics Services

Organisational chart

Corporate & scientific services

Board of Directors

Financials

Board committees

Government & competitive grants

Executive

Special events

Global collaborations

Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Centenary Circle

Corporate partners & supporters

Donors

Research priority reports Allergy & autoimmune

Brain & mind

Campus partners:

www.mcri.edu.au

about us WHO WE ARE Murdoch Childrens Research Institute is a not-forprofit organisation dedicated to finding innovative ways to prevent and treat conditions affecting babies, children and adolescents.

With 70 large research teams, we have the critical mass needed in modern day research to solve problems more rapidly.

As the largest child health research institute in Australia, we are well positioned to make major discoveries to improve child health.

Our researchers conduct nationally and internationally recognised studies to improve the health and wellbeing of children here and around the world.

WHAT WE DO

RESEARCH PRIORITIES

There are emerging conditions significantly affecting the health of Australian children today. Rapid social change has brought on the so called ‘new morbidities’ which have the potential to create an enormous social and financial burden on Australian families and the community.

• • • •

In addition, there are other problems like childhood cancer and genetic conditions that remain unsolved and continue to have a significant impact on child health and wellbeing. Our strategic research plan ensures our attention is focussed on four key areas of child health where we have the demonstrated skills to make a difference.

MCRI Annual Report 2009

Allergy & autoimmune disorders Brain & mind development Obesity & Diabetes Genetic development & disease

While we have a focus on these areas, our size allows us to also address other childhood conditions including language and literacy, adolescent health and heart disease.

From left: Former stutterer Ava, photo courtesy of Herald Sun; Cancer patient Marius; Heart surgeon & researcher A/Professor Yves d’Udekem

OUR CAMPUS PARTNERS

INVESTING DONOR FUNDS

Working side by side with the health professionals and academics at The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, and the University of Melbourne’s Department of Paediatrics gives our researchers a unique ‘bench to bedside’ opportunity enabling us to more quickly translate research discoveries into practical treatments for children.

Every donation, no matter how small, has the potential to save lives. Many of our research projects that receive government funding were initially established with funding from private sources. Without this support, some of our vital research would not get off the ground as governments and competitive funding bodies tend to support established research.

HISTORY Formed in 1986 with support from Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC DBE, her family and others, the Institute, then known as the Murdoch Institute, quickly became a world-class centre of genetics research and clinical genetics services. In early 2000, The Murdoch Institute and The Royal Children’s Hospital Research Institute merged to form the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute with a broader focus on child health research. Today, our research team has grown to more than 1200. Our growth, in terms of people, expertise and national and internationally competitive funding, is testament to our excellence and the fact that our researchers are making a measurable improvement to child health. The Institute will enter another exciting phase of growth when it moves into the new Royal Children’s Hospital in 2011, with a doubling of research space.

Most importantly, we distribute philanthropic funds to our research teams based on performance and research excellence. Gifts to the Murdoch Childrens are an investment in the future health of Australian children.

Our vision To be a major global contributor to the creation of knowledge that leads to improved child health

Our mission To obtain knowledge to improve the health of children in Victoria and globally

Our VALUES • Excitement of discovery • Innovation • Teamwork • Integrity

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year at a glance RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Our research continued to deliver results to improve the health and wellbeing of children. Highlights included: • P rofessor Melissa Wake received the 2009 Federal Health Minister’s Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research in recognition of her dedication to improving the health and quality of life of children. Professor Wake has led key research initiatives into obesity, hearing loss, language and literacy, early mental health and behavioural problems. • W e were among five sites in Australia to run trials for a swine flu vaccine for children. In collaboration with the University of Melbourne (UOM), we recruited 128 children for the Federal Government required trials to test the appropriate dosage and safety of the vaccine in children. • W e published a study showing stuttering during the preschool years is much more common than previously thought, affecting 8.5 per cent of children aged up to three.

MCRI Annual Report 2009

• O ur researchers discovered the gene that determines sex in birds, solving a long-standing puzzle in biology that could lead to a better understanding of how the process has evolved from birds to animals, including humans. • O ur researchers, in collaboration with UOM, led a world-first study on global youth death rates. The findings, published in The Lancet, showed young people from developed countries including Australia were three times more likely to die in their late teens and early twenties than in earlier childhood. • W e received our first grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for an international study into childhood pneumonia. The $1.4 million grant will allow researchers to examine pneumonia-causing bacteria in children from different parts of the world to help optimise vaccines.

INCOME

INTERNATIONAL GRANTS

Despite the economic downturn, our annual turnover grew to $81.6 million in 2009, compared with $72.9 million in 2008.

Murdoch Childrens was awarded $2.5 million in grants from international funding bodies to support research into adolescent health and conditions such as Friedreich ataxia and allergies.

100

PUBLICATIONS

90 80

Our research findings are published in medical journals around the world to ensure new discoveries improve knowledge within the scientific community and quickly translate to better health outcomes for children. In 2009, we had 488 publications, up from 448 in 2008. This included 112 publications in the world’s highest ranked journals.

$ million

70 60 50 40 30 20

Year

GRANTS We had a successful year securing competitive government and other grants for a wide range of research projects. This included a record $24.8 million from the Federal Government’s National Health & Medical Research Council for new initiatives commencing in 2010.

GROWTH Staff and students increased by 5.6 per cent to 931 in 2009. A further 319 Royal Children’s Hospital doctors and allied health professionals and University of Melbourne academics conduct research within Murdoch Childrens, giving us a total team of 1250.

FUNDRAISING With strategies to raise awareness, diversify income streams and secure new support from the corporate sector, major donors and events, net fundraising, donation and bequest income increased to $6.1 million.

2008

2009

Total income

$72.9 million

$81.6 million

NHMRC grants awarded (for projects to commence in the following year)

$17.3 million

$24.8 million

International grants (received in the calendar year)

$1.3 million

$2.5 million

Peer reviewed publications

448

488

Staff and students

882

931

PhD students

116

130

Donations, fundraising & bequests (net)

$3.9 million

$6.1 million

Media mentions

441

612

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a message from our patron In 2009, I greatly enjoyed celebrating my 100th birthday milestone with family and friends, as well as reflecting on my life and achievements.

It has been very pleasing to have had such happiness, and to have had the opportunity to make a difference to the lives of other people. Giving to others is one of lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great pleasures and I have been proud to be able to help a number of different charities. One of my great achievements has been working with late Professor David Danks, my family and other generous donors to establish the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute. My association with the hospital campus dates back many, many years to when I first became involved with The Royal Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital in 1933. It has been rewarding and quite remarkable to see what a difference medical research has made to the lives of us all, but particularly children. When I was young, conditions like polio and smallpox were the big health issues, now you hardly hear of them thanks to tremendous advances in medical research and health care. I believe every child deserves the best possible start in life and the Murdoch Childrens does so much for the betterment of the health and happiness of our children.

MCRI Annual Report 2009

I was thrilled with the announcement of a new fellowship to be established in honour of my centenary milestone and I am grateful to the generous members of the Centenary Circle (see page 60).

1. Dame Elisabeth Murdoch with cystic fibrosis patient Alison 2. Laurie Cox and Dame Elisabeth Murdoch 3. June Danks and Dame Elisabeth Murdoch

I must also thank and acknowledge the great contributions made by outgoing Chair Laurie Cox to the Institute over 25 years. My family and I have deeply appreciated Laurie’s commitment.

After meeting so many of the researchers at Murdoch Childrens over many, many years, I have been continually impressed by their dedication, cleverness, passion and overwhelming modesty. The career of a scientist is not an easy one, and it is definitely not for all of us, but they depend on our generosity. We must all do what we can – within our own capacity – to help them in their quest for knowledge.

I have always admired Laurie very much for his dedication, determination and wisdom as Chair. He has been enormously generous with the time he has spent on the Institute’s business, and I am very proud of what has been achieved. Laurie has been a wise mentor to each Director, firstly, Professor David Danks, then Professor Bob Williamson and now Professor Terry Dwyer, enabling them to undertake much change and growth. The future with new Chair Leigh Clifford and Terry at the helm, and a move to new, spacious facilities at the new Royal Children’s Hospital, holds much promise for the Institute and our capacity to continue to make important discoveries to improve child health.

To the donors who support our work – thank you. I encourage you all to give and to keep giving to support the important work of Murdoch Childrens to help create a healthier future for our children.

Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC DBE Patron

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chairmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report I retired as a Director and Chair on 16 December 2009 and Leigh Clifford assumed the role. He brings over 40 years experience in the corporate sector to the Institute. I am confident that his leadership and vision will prove invaluable in driving our next stage of growth.

Our patron Very few can fully understand the great contribution made by our Patron Dame Elisabeth Murdoch. She showed great foresight in making an investment in the work of Professor Danks in the early 1980s and has taken a close personal interest in our work, even in her 100th year. Four generations of her family are now helping the Institute in various ways.

Founding director Professor David Danks invited me to join the inaugural Board and share his vision for a world-class genetic research institute and I am proud to have had such a long involvement. During 25 years on the Board, including 16 as Chair, I have had the privilege of being part of a growth story which has seen the Institute start with a handful of researchers in the mid 1980s to become a world leader in child health research. By the end of 2009, our research team had grown to over 900. A further 319 health professionals and academics contributed to our research, bringing our total team to more than 1200. Our total income was $81.6 million. This growth has been due to increasing success in obtaining competitive research grants, as well as our ability to obtain philanthropic support. In 2009, Murdoch Childrens was awarded a record $24.8 million from the National Health & Medical Research Council. Research output also increased, with 488 academic articles published. In my final report as Chair, it is appropriate to reflect on what has made Murdoch Childrens a successful organisation and one that continues to deliver real benefits to the health and wellbeing of children.

MCRI Annual Report 2009

Chair, Mr Laurence G Cox AO

Our directors & leaders I have greatly enjoyed working with the Institute’s three directors, Professors Danks, Bob Williamson and Terry Dwyer. Each has brought a different style of leadership and focus, but all have been eminent scientists who have helped the Institute grow in stature in the highly competitive global medical research arena. Prominent members of corporate Australia and the scientific and academic sectors have provided great Board leadership. I thank all members of the Board and Board advisory committees, past and present, for their significant contributions. I particularly acknowledge outgoing directors Jane Fenton, Peter Griffin, Richard Smallwood and Geoff Tregear, who collectively have served for more than half a century.

Research team & collaborators Our team’s discoveries have yielded improvements in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of childhood conditions. I have admired our team for their sharp intellect, patience, commitment, passion and teamwork. In my time as Chair, new research disciplines have emerged and we have increased our capacity for clinical and public health research, which has given us a truly multidisciplinary approach to tackling childhood conditions. As a result, our research has flourished, further strengthening our national and international profile and impact. Collaborating with our campus partners, The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) and the University of

Melbourne, and other research institutes nationally and internationally, has allowed us to make discoveries more quickly and translate them into direct benefits for children. The move to new research space in the RCH redevelopment in 2012 will provide our team with bigger, world-class facilities. Importantly, the redevelopment will provide us with our own distinct presence, confirming our position as one of Australia’s biggest independent research institutions.

Donors Many of our research projects that receive government funding were initially established with seed funding from private sources. Without this support, some of our vital research would not get off the ground as governments and other funding bodies only tend to support established research. Net fundraising, donation and bequest income grew to $6.1 million in 2009. I thank each and every donor for their contributions, which are essential for Murdoch Childrens to continue producing world-recognised research to improve the lives of children. As I reflect on 25 years of involvement, our greatest achievement has been to give life to a major Australian institution that is now recognised globally as one of the best in its field. I believe we are only at the beginning of our development and I look forward to watching future progress with great pride.

Mr Laurence G Cox AO, Chairman

incoming chair – Leigh Clifford AO I am pleased to take over the role of Chair at a time of considerable growth and change at Murdoch Childrens. With our ever-growing number of staff and impending move to the new Royal Children’s Hospital, it is an exciting and rewarding time to be leading the Board and steering the direction of this exceptional Institute.

I would like to express my appreciation for the work done by my predecessor Laurie Cox, who has provided invaluable expertise, guidance and leadership over more than two decades. I look forward to helping the Institute achieve its mission to improve the health and wellbeing of children and families in Australia and around the world.

www.mcri.edu.au

director’s report Murdoch Childrens continued to make major discoveries to improve the health and wellbeing of children in 2009. From a world-first study comparing youth deaths around the world, to trialling a swine flu vaccine in children and rolling out a child sleep program to decrease postnatal depression in new mothers, our researchers have made a difference to the lives of many young people and their families.

RESEARCH EXCELLENCE Overall, the Institute published 488 papers, an increase of nine per cent from the previous year. Almost a quarter of these were published in the world’s top scientific journals. Publishing in these prestigious journals demonstrates that our research is unique and important in terms of creating new knowledge. Our focus on four key priority areas also yielded results. These areas have been chosen because our researchers have the expertise and demonstrated skills to make a difference. They also represent conditions that remain unsolved, or in some cases, are on the rise in our children. Our priority areas are: • • • •

This seed funding allowed us to then leverage significant funding from the Federal Government’s National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC). For every dollar given by our donors, we leveraged a further five dollars from external funding sources. Without our record year in fundraising, which saw net income grow to $6.1 million, we would not have been able to continue investing in our most exciting research at a significant level. I thank each and every donor for continuing to support us despite the economic downturn. I also thank the Development Board, led by Suzi Carp, for their contributions to achieving this result.

Allergies & autoimmune conditions Brain & mind development Obesity Genetic disorders

Using untied donations – where the donor allows us to direct the funds to research areas on the basis of their scientific importance – we were able to increase the funding for our priority areas.

MCRI Annual Report 2009

Director Professor Terry Dwyer AO

Donations are vital in starting new research projects that would not otherwise get off the ground, and helping these to reach a point where major funding from competitive sources can be attracted. Securing large grants allows the projects to grow in the size and scale necessary to produce major discoveries.

a wholly owned subsidiary of Murdoch Childrens. Public funding has not kept pace with the growing requirements for service delivery and we will need to work with the State Government to ensure the services provided by VCGS can be delivered effectively and equitably in the future.

GROWTH

EXECUTIVE & CORPORATE SERVICES

The expansion of our research team is vital as conditions such as allergies, type 1 diabetes, premature birth, autoimmune disorders increasingly affect children.

I thank the theme directors and the other executive members for their contributions to strategies, research and operations throughout the year. I also thank Anne Cronin, who moved on from her role as Chief Operating Officer in October after 25 years, for her important contribution to our development. Anne has taken on other projects within and outside the Institute, handing over to Brent Dankesreither, who brings broad business management experience to the role.

Our continued income growth is essential for achieving our goal of improving the health and wellbeing of Australian children. In 2009, direct employees grew 5.6 per cent to 931. Funding awarded by the NHMRC also grew, reaching a record $24.8 million. We received some infrastructure support for indirect research costs from the Federal Government and the Victorian Government’s operational infrastructure support program. However, Australian medical research institutes are struggling to meet infrastructure demands. In 2010, the sector will lobby Federal and State Governments to bring this funding in line with what is required for research activities, and also in line with the infrastructure funding available to universities and other institutions interstate and overseas.

NEW LEADERSHIP

We also received, in collaboration with The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) and the University of Melbourne (UOM), a $4.7 million grant from the Federal Government’s Health and Hospitals Fund for a bio-resource facility, which will be built in the new hospital once it is completed.

Leigh Clifford, Chairman of Qantas, has taken over the leadership. Together with the Board, I am delighted that he has been able to make that commitment and we look forward to working with him to build on our success.

CAMPUS PARTNERS

In 2010, Murdoch Childrens will conduct a major scientific review, work with RCH on a new relationship agreement to underpin our partnership going forward, and focus on strengthening our international collaborations.

Integration of our research with RCH and UOM enables the accelerated development of practical treatments, screening, and preventive measures from bench to bedside and community. In 2009, the Campus Council approved establishment of a campus research committee to ensure that the best insights from across the campus are included in research strategy. Our research received significant support from The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation, including income raised through the Good Friday Appeal. We thank those Victorians who generously gave to the Appeal.

2010 will see the Board under new leadership following the retirement of our Chair Laurie Cox. Laurie’s knowledge, commitment and passion over the past 25 years has been instrumental to the development of the Institute and I thank him for his important contribution. We also acknowledge the tremendous support provided by outgoing directors Jane Fenton, Peter Griffin, Richard Smallwood and Geoff Tregear.

LOOKING TO 2010 & BEYOND

I thank our Patron Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, Ambassador Sarah Murdoch, our Board and executive for their ongoing support and dedication. I also thank our research team for their hard work and our donors for their generous support. By working together, we will ensure that 2010 will deliver continuing success for Murdoch Childrens and improved health for children.

VICTORIAN CLINICAL GENETICS SERVICEs Another important initiative during the year was the review of Victorian Clinical Genetics Services (VCGS),

Professor Terry Dwyer AO, Director

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organisational chart The Royal Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital, Melbourne Professor Christine Kilpatrick

Murdoch Childrens Research Institute

University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics Professor Paul Monagle

Board of Directors Chair Laurence G Cox / Leigh Clifford Victorian Clinical Genetics Services (VCGS) Board of Directors Director Professor Terry Dwyer

Chief Operating Officer Ms Anne Cronin / Mr Brent Dankesreither

Commercial Translation Dr Angeline Bartholomeusz

Australian Paediatric Pharmacology Research Unit Professor Noel Cranswick

Critical Care & Neurosciences Professor Vicki Anderson

Engineering & Building Dr Hassan Sadafi

Bioinformatics Dr Katrina Bell

Early Development & Disease Professor Andrew Sinclair

Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics Unit Professor John Carlin

Healthy Development Professor Sheena Reilly

Finance Mr Viren Abeyasinghe Grants Ms Julia Malone

Clinical Research Development Office Dr Andrew Davidson

Infection, Immunity & Environment Professor Andy Giraud Laboratory & Community Genetics Professor Andy Choo

Human Resources Ms Kathryn Bellion / Ms Michele Gellatly

Musculoskeletal Disorders Professor John Bateman

Information Technology Mr George Teng Internal Audit Mr Neil Harker Scientific Services Dr Kerry Fowler CORPORATE & SCIENTIFIC SERVICES

ENABLERS

MCRI Annual Report 2009

RESEARCH THEMES

Victorian Clinical Genetics Services (VCGS) Professor Agnes Bankier / A/Professor David Amor

PR & Development Ms Alyssa Jones / Dr Narelle Curtis

Research Strategy & Communications Dr MaryAnne Aitken

board of directors 1. Mr Laurence G Cox AO Chair Non Executive Director 1986 - 1993 Chair 1993 - December 2009 Investment banker and Director of public, private and non-profit organisations 2. Mr Leigh Clifford AO Chair Non Executive Director 2007 - December 2009 Chair from December 2009 Chair of Qantas Airways, Director of Barclays Bank, Bechtel Group Inc (USA), Chair of Bechtel Australia Pty Ltd, Senior Advisor at Kholberg Kravis and Roberts 3. Mr Martin Armstrong Non Executive Director from 1997 Partner at Plante & Henty, Director of The Jack Brockhoff Foundation and other public, private and non-profit organisations 4. Mr Anthony Beddison AO Non Executive Director from 2004 Chair, The Royal Children’s Hospital and The Beddison Group 5. Mrs Janet Calvert-Jones AO Non Executive Director from 1986 Director of Herald & Weekly Times Limited, Chair of Tapestry Foundation of Victoria 6. Mrs Suzi Carp Non Executive Director from 2006 Director of River Capital, Director of Mirabel Foundation, Chair of Pilotlight Australia

9. Professor Terry Dwyer AO Executive Director from 2004 Member of World Health Organization’s Global Advisory Committee on Health Research, International Scientific Advisory Board for UK BioBank, Board member of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 10. Ms Jane Fenton AM Non Executive Director 2000 - August 2009 Principal and founder of Fenton Communications, Chair of Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, Life Governor of Very Special Kids 11. Mr Peter Griffin AM Non Executive Director 1993 - December 2009 Director of Rothschild Australia, Global Mining Investments Ltd, President of Cancer Council Victoria 12. Professor Christine Kilpatrick Non Executive Director from 2008 Chief Executive Officer of The Royal Children’s Hospital 13. Mr Ian Miller Non Executive Director from 2007 Senior Partner at Ernst & Young 14. Professor Paul Monagle Non Executive Director from 2008 Stevenson Professor, Department of Paediatrics, the University of Melbourne

15. Mrs Judy Paterson Non Executive Director from 1996 Director of Ace Radio Broadcasters

7. Mr James Craig Non Executive Director from June 2009 Chair of Macquarie Capital Advisers, Director of other public and non-profit organisations

16. Professor Richard Smallwood AO Non Executive Director 1998 - December 2009 President of Australian Medical Council

8. Mrs Patricia Cross Non Executive Director from 2005 Non Executive Director of National Australia Bank, Wesfarmers Group and Qantas Airways

17. Professor Geoff Tregear AM Non Executive Director 1994 - December 2009 Deputy Director of Florey Neuroscience Institutes

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board committees Audit, Finance & Risk Management Committee Monitors the systems and controls established to safeguard the Instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assets. Chair, Mr Ian Miller Mr Viren Abeyasinghe Mr Martin Armstrong Mr Laurence G Cox AO (to December 2009) Ms Anne Cronin (to October 2009) Mr Brent Dankesreither (from October 2009) Professor Terry Dwyer AO Mr David Gillespie

Commercialisation & IP Committee Advises the Board on business development opportunities for biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries and on related issues including patent protection. Chair, Professor Geoff Tregear (to December 2009) Mr Martin Armstrong Dr Andrew Baker Dr Angeline Bartholomeusz Ms Anne Cronin (to October 2009) Mr Brent Dankesreither (from October 2009) Professor Terry Dwyer AO Ms Sue Michelmore Mr Bob Moses Mr George Raitt Professor George Werther

Development Board Provides advice on fundraising, marketing and communications activities to engage donors and supporters. Chair, Mrs Suzi Carp Ms Lisa Bond Mrs Susannah Calvert-Jones Mr Steven Casper Dr Narelle Curtis Mr Tony Davies Mrs Victoria Gillespie Mr Paul Hameister Mr Ben James (to May 2009) Ms Alyssa Jones Mr Clark Kirby

MCRI Annual Report 2009

Ms Marisa Leone Mrs Sarah Murdoch Mr Adrian Redlich Mr Angus Reynolds Ms Emma Rosenberg Ms Fiona Rowland Mrs Dahlia Sable

Investment Committee Advises on the financial investments of the Institute. Chair, Mr Peter Griffin AM (to December 2009) Chair, Mr James Craig (Chair from December 2009) Mr Viren Abeyasinghe Mrs Suzi Carp Mr Laurence G Cox AO (to December 2009) Ms Anne Cronin (to October 2009) Mrs Patricia Cross Mr Brent Dankesreither (from October 2009) Mr Ben James Mr Dominic Leary Mr Paul Martin Mr Ian Miller Mr John Nickson

Remuneration Committee Mr Martin Armstrong Mr Leigh Clifford AO (from December 2009) Mr Laurence G Cox AO (to December 2009) Mr Ian Miller (from December 2009) Professor Richard Smallwood AO (to December 2009)

Victorian Clinical Genetics Services Board Oversees the activities of Victorian Clinical Genetics Services, an incorporated subsidiary of Murdoch Childrens. Chair, Professor Terry Dwyer AO Professor Agnes Bankier (to December 2009) Mr Laurence G Cox AO (to December 2009) Professor Stephen Holdsworth A/Professor Andrew Kornberg Professor Finlay Macrae A/Professor Paul Mitchell (to March 2009) Mrs Judy Paterson Invited to attend Ms Anne Cronin (to October 2009) Mr Brent Dankesreither (from October 2009)

executive committee Responsible for the management of research strategy, operational issues, research funds and infrastructure.

1. Professor Terry Dwyer AO Director 2. Mr Brent Dankesreither Chief Operating Officer (from October 2009)

3. Ms Anne Cronin Chief Operating Officer (to October 2009) 4. Professor Vicki Anderson Critical Care & Neurosciences 5. Professor John Bateman Musculoskeletal Disorders 6. Professor Andy Choo Laboratory & Community Genetics 7. Professor Andy Giraud Infection, Immunity & Environment 8. Professor Sheena Reilly Healthy Development 9. Professor Andrew Sinclair Early Development & Disease Invited to attend 10. Dr MaryAnne Aitken Research Strategy & Communications Advisor 11. M s Alyssa Jones PR & Development Manager 12. M s Julia Malone Grants Office Manager

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global collaborations In the modern world of research, collaborations nationally and internationally are vital to share skills, knowledge and equipment to help find answers to child health problems more quickly. By extending our reach beyond our borders, Murdoch Childrens aims to make an even greater impact on the health of children not just in Australia, but around the world.

PNEUMONIA A $1.4 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was awarded to our team to help combat childhood pneumonia, the biggest killer of children under the age of five globally. Our researchers will work with an international team of scientists to study different strains of pneumonia-causing bacteria in children from Fiji, Kenya, South Africa, The Gambia, Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh and the USA. The results will help researchers improve pneumonia vaccines.

MCRI Annual Report 2009

CANCER

ROTAVIRUS

We are playing a leading role in the world’s biggest cancer study, tracking one million pregnant mothers and their babies to find a preventable cause of leukaemia. The project involves research teams from 15 countries including China, Japan, the USA, Norway, Denmark and England. Murdoch Childrens is currently collating data to examine environmental and genetic factors that differ between children who get cancer and those who don’t. The data will also be used to examine how the causes of childhood cancer differ across countries. First stage results are expected in 2011.

Testing of a new rotavirus vaccine to reduce child deaths from diarrhoeal illness was completed with clinical trials due to commence in early 2010. Rotavirus, the leading cause of severe dehydrating gastroenteritis in infants, leads to more than 500,000 deaths worldwide each year, mostly in developing countries. As infection often occurs very early in life, Murdoch Childrens is trialling a single dose oral vaccine that can be delivered at birth to those most at risk. The project is in collaboration with Indonesian government manufacturer Biofarma and Seattlebased non-profit health organisation PATH. It is the culmination of almost 40 years of research on this campus since the discovery of rotavirus by Professor Ruth Bishop and her team in 1973.

INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS We are working with two leading paediatric hospitals in the USA – the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital (CCH). Our collaboration with CHOP includes research into juvenile arthritis and genome-wide genetic analysis. Current work with CCH is on heart research, with future projects planned for type 1 diabetes and obesity.

ADOLESCENT HEALTH Our researchers were involved in a world-first study reporting on the rates and causes of death in young people across 192 countries. In collaboration with the World Health Organization, the study found death from injury including traffic accidents, violence and suicide accounted for two in five youth deaths worldwide (see the table below). It also found young people from developed countries including Australia were three times more likely to die in their late teens and early twenties than in earlier childhood. The death rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youths was on par with the average for those living in developing countries and almost four times higher than non-Indigenous Australians. The findings aim to improve adolescent health policies both in Australia and globally.

Top causes of death worldwide in 10-24 year olds 1. Road traffic accidents

10%

2. Suicide

6.3% 6%

3. Violence 4. Lower respiratory tract infections

5.9%

5. Tuberculosis

5.5%

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research priority

allergy & autoimmune Today, on average, every classroom has at least one child with a food allergy.

increased, with $2 million awarded in 2009. This has contributed to an increased capacity for discoveries to improve the lives of children suffering from allergies and autoimmune conditions.

ALLERGY RESEARCHER HONOURED

Allergic disease affects up to 40 per cent of Australian children and the incidence continues to rise at an alarming rate. Crohn’s disease has increased 20-fold in the past 30 years in Victoria alone. Hospital admission rates for anaphylaxis, the most severe form of food allergy, have trebled in the past 15 years. It is important to understand how and why allergic and immune disorders are increasing. Our research concerns immune abnormalities that lead to allergic diseases such as food allergy, asthma, eczema, allergic rhinitis and autoimmune conditions such as type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Over the past two years, Murdoch Childrens has invested $400,000 from donor funds into this priority area. The seed funding has resulted in a 75 per cent increase in research published in the world’s top journals. Competitive funding leveraged from the National Health & Medical Research Council also

MCRI Annual Report 2009

A/Professor Katie Allen was recognised with the prestigious Sylvia & Charles Viertel Chartitable Foundation Senior Medical Research Fellowship. The $1 million, five year grant will fund a follow-up study of 5000 babies to determine the rate and risk factors of food allergy at the age of four. Katie is also leading a study to examine the rate and causes of food allergy among 5000 high school students.

Most common causes of food induced anaphylaxis hospital admissions in Australia Peanut

23%

Fish

18%

Shellfish

16%

Tree nuts

16%

Eggs

Milk

Food allergy rising in Aussie kids A/Professor Mimi Tang is leading research at Murdoch Childrens to unravel the mystery of food allergy.

leading cause of food anaphylaxis, accounting for one in four hospital admissions followed by fish, shellfish and tree nuts.

“The prevalence of allergies has been rising for three to four decades, but the most significant increases have been in food allergy and anaphylaxis, particularly among children aged four and under,” she said.

“There are many theories about why food allergy is rising, but we don’t have a definitive answer. We’re working really hard to find a new approach to treatment and to find a cure.”

Mimi’s research recently found that hospital admissions in Australia for food-related anaphylaxis, the most severe form of allergic reaction, had more than trebled from 1994 to 2005.

This includes an Australian-first study in collaboration with The Royal Children’s Hospital to induce tolerance to peanut in children with peanut allergy by giving them small amounts of peanut protein. If successful, the trial could offer hope to thousands of children with food allergies, like five year old study participant Amelie.

The study, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, showed peanut allergy was the

A/Professor Mimi Tang and study participant Amelie

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research priority

allergy & autoimmune More than two million children under five years of age are hospitalised every year because of rotavirus gastroenteritis. 500,000 children die.

SWINE FLU VACCINE TRIAL

Australia has the second highest rate of inflammatory bowel disease in the world, with 70,000 people affected. Children as young as two have been diagnosed.

As the swine flu pandemic swept the globe in 2009, Murdoch Childrens in collaboration with the University of Melbourne’s School of Population Health, played a lead role in a world-first swine influenza vaccine trial in infants and children to test the safety and effectiveness of a new vaccine. Of 370 children studied in Australia, 128 were recruited by our team. The group, led by Professor Terry Nolan, published results in the Journal of the American Medical Association showing the vaccine was likely to be highly effective in fighting the virus, even after a single dose. The vaccine has now been rolled out in Australia and the USA.

One year old Ruby with the vaccine Photo courtesy of Herald Sun.

CROHN’S DISEASE The Royal Children’s Hospital diagnoses 100 new children with Crohn’s disease every year. The lifelong, inflammatory bowel disease causes inflammation of the intestines and can also affect the gut and gastrointestinal tract. In 2009, Dr Carl Kirkwood was awarded a National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Career Development Fellowship to investigate the role of infections in the trigger of gastrointestinal disease. His team was also awarded a NHMRC Project Grant to investigate how infections trigger Crohn’s disease in early childhood. “Our team’s research was initially supported with donor funds, which helped us get our work to the stage where we could attract these bigger government grants. The grant will allow us to expand and continue our work, giving hope to children with Crohn’s,” Carl said.

MCRI Annual Report 2009

IMMUNISATION Our immunisation research aims to improve and develop vaccines for life-threatening conditions such as pneumonia and rotavirus as well as improve vaccine safety. We also run an Indigenous immunisation program and a special program for patients with chronic illnesses such as cancer, who

may be at increased risk of infection. In 2009, our research into conditions such as acute rheumatic fever and rotavirus and immunisation safety was published in some of the world’s leading medical journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet and Circulation.

Babies to shed light on allergy onset What babies eat, where they live, and even how well they sleep in their first year of life may have a major impact on whether they develop allergies such as asthma and eczema during childhood. Professor Anne-Louise Ponsonby is among researchers trying to find out exactly how the environment in which babies grow up can influence their genes and subsequent development of the immune system. To do this, Anne-Louise and a team of doctors are studying 1000 Victorian babies from birth to look for patterns in early life environment and the corresponding risk of the onset of allergy. This includes examining babies’ sunlight exposure, diet, sleep, illness history and contact with microbes from items like soil and family pets. The babies will be recruited from the Barwon region, near Geelong, Victoria, with the help of the Dr Peter Vuillermin, a paediatrician who works jointly with Murdoch Childrens and Barwon Health. The study hopes to shed light on how certain environmental factors can cause immune disorders, such as allergies, by switching gene function on and off during the early immune development of the infant, and identify which children are most at risk of developing allergies. In particular, the study will first look at the causes of eczema in these babies at the age of one. “By determining which environmental factors are most likely to lead to allergies, we hope to find better ways to prevent and treat these allergic diseases in children,” Anne-Louise said. The study was awarded a $1.4 million NHMRC grant in 2009. Professor Anne-Louise Ponsonby

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research priority

allergy & autoimmune Children with diabetes will endure between 7000 to 14,000 insulin injections and approximately 14,000 blood glucose tests every 10 years, for the rest of their lives.

MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES A/Professor Fergus Cameron and A/Professor Elisabeth Northam lead research into the mental health and wellbeing of adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Their findings show mental health is the leading complication of diabetes among youths, with one third of patients suffering from mental health problems. One in three also fail to complete secondary school and a similar number fail to transition successfully to adult care.

The incidence of type 1 diabetes has increased by 29 per cent in the past decade, with Australian children among the most affected in the world.

“These teenagers have to contend with not only the physical and medical issues, but also the psychological, social and family impacts,” Fergus said.

Each year, about 150 children are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at The Royal Children’s Hospital and a further 1500 visit for treatment.

The insulin pump is a small mechanical device worn outside the body, which delivers insulin through a needle at pre-programmed times to control blood sugar levels.

These children endure insulin injections and blood glucose tests on a daily basis and face a number of serious long-term health problems including kidney disease, nerve damage, heart attack and stroke. Our research is focused on identifying the cause of the disease including the impact of environmental factors such as sunlight exposure, infections and nutrition. We are also looking at ways to minimise the impact of the disease, including mental health complications.

MCRI Annual Report 2009

In 2009, our research published in Diabetologia showed children’s mood, behaviour and cognitive function significantly improved after commencing insulin pump therapy.

We are also fighting diabetes on a global scale as part of the Hvidoere International Study Group on Childhood Diabetes. The prestigious collaboration includes 18 countries and 22 diabetes centres.

Type 1 diabetes patient Sydney with A/Professor Fergus Cameron

LIFE-CHANGING DIAGNOSIS A constant, nagging thirst was the first sign of trouble for teenager Sydney. “I’d been feeling really dehydrated and it kept getting worse and worse. I was drinking five bottles of water a day at school and I thought this isn’t right,” the 16 year old said. Sydney, then 13, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes by her doctor. “It’s a pretty big thing to be told you have a disease. I was really shocked because I didn’t know what diabetes was and I kept thinking that I had done something wrong.”

For Sydney, the diagnosis was a life-changing experience as she was confronted with the harsh reality of blood glucose monitoring and insulin injections. But rather than dwell on the situation, she is hoping to use her experience to help others in the future. “I was always interested in becoming a doctor but the idea really hit home when I was diagnosed. Seeing all the doctors who helped me, I thought ‘wow, where would I be without them’. It really opened my eyes.”

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research priority

brain & mind Led by Professor Lex Doyle, the research aims to improve treatment and decrease the long term health and developmental issues associated with premature birth.

BRAIN INJURY

Head injury patient Sweeney with mum Kim

3000 babies are born 10 or more weeks premature each year in Australia. Thanks to advances in medical technology, 80 per cent now survive.

Our team is studying the causes, rates and long-term health outcomes of brain injury. In 2009, we published unexpected results in Brain and Pediatrics showing children who suffered brain injuries at a younger age had worse intellectual and educational outcomes than older children. The team also found that babies and toddlers were twice as likely to present to hospital with injuries as older children. Sports accounted for a third of head injuries among these children. Lead researcher Professor Vicki Anderson received a NHMRC Practitioner Fellowship for her work in this area. Percentage of children aged 12-16 with impaired IQ following head injury

PREMATURE BIRTH In 2009, Murdoch Childrens in partnership with the Royal Women’s and The Royal Children’s hospitals received a $2.5 million Centre for Clinical Research Excellence grant from the NHMRC to study brain and lung problems in premature babies.

MCRI Annual Report 2009

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20

ye ar s

ye ar

ye ar to 6

ye ar

rth

bi to

Ar ou

bi rth

Pr e-

An increase in overall Institute fundraising revenue allowed Murdoch Childrens to invest $1 million into brain and mind research, up from $687,000 in 2008. In 2009, $6 million was leveraged from the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and we had 17 publications in the world’s most prestigious journals.

100 Percentage impaired

Understanding brain development and the brain’s ability to function after disease, injury or intensive care is one of the Institute’s priority research areas. We are also concerned with understanding and improving mental health and wellbeing for babies, children and adolescents.

Age at time of injury

Babies and toddlers are twice as likely to present to hospital with head injuries as older children.

Dr Peter Anderson, Dr Alicia Spittle and study participant Alicia

TINY TOT BEATING THE ODDS Looking at Alicia today, it’s hard to imagine she was once small enough to fit into the palms of her mother’s hands.

weeks premature were at risk of social-emotional problems such as anxiety and depression by the time they turned two.

Born 14 weeks premature, Alicia weighed just over one kilogram and spent the first three months of her life in hospital.

Researchers including Dr Peter Anderson and Dr Alicia Spittle are looking at how their unique early intervention can improve the developmental outcomes of these children. The results show babies who receive extra support from health workers in the first year of life have better behavioural outcomes at the age of two. Their parents are also less likely to report signs of anxiety and depression. The children are being followed up at the age of four and five to assess the long-term effects of intervention.

While the bubbly five year old now looks a picture of health, mum Vicki says there have been some hurdles along the way for the family. “It was a big shock for me when she was born so early because I didn’t know anything about premature babies,” she said. Alicia is among children participating in studies at Murdoch Childrens to examine and improve the health and development of premature babies and the wellbeing of their families. Research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 2009 found more than a third of toddlers born 10 or more

Peter was awarded a NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship in 2009 for his work in this area. Team member Dr Gehan Roberts was awarded a NHMRC Postdoctoral Training Fellowship to address early learning difficulties among premature children.

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research priority

brain & mind Heart patient Wesley with sister Nellie

HEARTS & MINDS Wesley was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a serious condition in which half of the heart does not develop properly. As a result, he underwent two heart surgeries in the first three months of life. Now aged two, Wesley is participating in a study which looks at the impact of heart surgery on the development of babies born with serious congenital heart disease. Seventy-five newborn babies have been recruited to the study, who, like Wesley, had heart surgery during the first few weeks of life. The team performed electrical brainwave monitoring and MRI brain scans on these babies before and soon after heart surgery, and have followed them up at two years of age to assess their development. An important finding showed that a pre-surgery procedure previously thought to increase the risk of brain injury in babies, known as balloon septostomy, was not linked to brain injury among any of the study participants. The finding was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in 2009. The study is a collaboration between Murdoch Childrens, The Royal Children’s Hospital and New Zealand’s Starship Children’s Health.

MCRI Annual Report 2009

BRAIN IMAGING RESEARCH In 2006, Murdoch Childrens acquired a researchdedicated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner – the only one of its kind in the country dedicated to child health research. In 2008, Dr Amanda Wood and a team of experts were recruited to provide brain image analysis and research support. The team was established with the support of a private donor. Increasingly, researchers at Murdoch Childrens working on a range of childhood conditions including ADHD, stuttering, premature birth and heart disease are seeking the expertise of Amanda’s team to uncover the cause and effects of early brain injuries, examine the determinants of typical brain development, improve diagnostic accuracy and to measure effects of new treatments directly. “Thanks to start up funding provided by a donor, our team is using cutting edge technology to help researchers from across the campus improve outcomes for children with a range of different conditions,” Amanda said.

Dr Amanda Wood with the MRI scanner

HELPING BABIES & mums SLEEP EASY When Dr Harriet Hiscock started looking at the link between crying babies and postnatal depression, she was surprised to find almost two thirds of mothers with depression reported an infant sleep problem. “People think sleep problems will go away, but left untreated, they’re more likely to persist and cause long-term maternal depression, parenting stress and child behavioural problems,” she said. In response, Harriet and her team developed an intervention program to modify babies’ sleep patterns through a variety of techniques including controlled comforting. A trial involving more than 300 infants showed a significant drop in clinical depression symptoms among mothers in the intervention group. More than 1200 maternal health nurses have since been trained in the technique to provide support to

mothers across Victoria, with the rollout of the program completed in 2009. Penny Levickis successfully used the technique with daughter Isabel, nine months. Within a few days of starting intervention, Penny noticed a significant improvement in Isabel’s sleep. “It means that I get a lot more sleep and that I can do the things I need to get done in the evenings without constantly having to be at Isabel’s bedside.” Harriet was awarded a Career Development Fellowship and several project grants from the National Health & Medical Research Council in 2009 to expand her research into sleep problems as well as other behavioural, developmental and mental health problems in children.

Dr Harriet Hiscock (left) with Penny & Isabel

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research priority

obesity

CHILDHOOD DETERMINANTS OF ADULT HEALTH Research shows childhood obesity can lead to weightrelated problems such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol in some children. We know that the earlier these problems present, the more significant the long-term health implications. However, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know which children are most susceptible.

Youngsters Thea and Luke get active

Australian kids are among the most obese in the world. In Victoria alone 22,000 children are seriously obese, 33,000 are obese and 220,000 are overweight.

Childhood obesity is one of the most pressing public health problems of our time, with the number of obese children doubling since the 1980s. Nearly a quarter of Australian children are overweight or obese before they start school. Murdoch Childrens has formed one of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest multidisciplinary research teams to tackle the problem by examining genetic, lifestyle and environmental risk factors for obesity and related health complications. Our research team is also focussed on understanding the long term health risks of being overweight or obese as a child or adolescent, to reduce the future impact of obesity related type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

MCRI Annual Report 2009

Our researchers are examining how genes and the environment come together to put some obese individuals at higher risk of weight related disease than others. It is the first in-depth study of its kind in the world and has led to interest from several international research centres. Murdoch Childrens is also involved in a large national study to investigate how a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifestyle and environment, including weight, diet and fitness, can shape their health as adults. In 2009, we published research in the American Journal of Epidemiology showing children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds had better levels of fitness as adults, than children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Other research is looking at the predictors of heart disease and diabetes in adulthood. The study will help identify early life risk factors for long-term health problems and improve our ability to prevent and treat these conditions.

Increase in body mass index among Australian preschoolers aged four and five from 2004-2008 Child BMI status

2004

2008

5.0

6.2

Normal

74.6

71.0

Overweight

15.2

17.3

5.2

5.5

Underweight

Obese

* Data from the longitudinal study of Australian children

Professor Melissa Wake

leading the fight against childhood obesity Professor Melissa Wake has seen first-hand the physical and emotional toll of childhood obesity during 15 years of research in the field. Just recently, she came across a young girl at The Royal Children’s Hospital Emergency Department who was getting bullied at school because of her weight. “She was seeking treatment for an unrelated condition and it was the first time anyone had asked about her weight,” Melissa said. “She was desperate to talk about it. It was taking a huge toll on her life. She didn’t want to go to school. These are the stories we see on a daily basis.” Melissa is among researchers at Murdoch Childrens working to curb the childhood obesity epidemic, which now affects nearly a quarter of school children.

“Childhood obesity is one of the greatest threats to children’s future health. Through research, we have an amazing opportunity to help these children by pinpointing the causes of obesity and finding effective treatments.” In 2009, Melissa published research in the British Medical Journal showing national guidelines for GPs, aimed at helping children lose weight, were costly and ineffective. In response, Melissa and her colleagues developed a shared care model in which GPs and hospital specialists work together to coordinate patient care. She received the 2009 Federal Health Minister’s Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research, in recognition of her work on obesity and other child health conditions. Melissa is also involved in the Australasian Child and Adolescent Obesity Research Network, which fosters research among Australian and New Zealand child and adolescent obesity groups.

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research priority

genetics

Sequencing of the human genome was completed in 2003. It took international scientists 13 years and cost $2.6 billion. Now it takes eight weeks and costs $250,000. Not too far into the future it will take four weeks and cost less than $10,000.

MITOCHONDRIAL RESEARCH

Each year eight million children are born with a serious birth defect of genetic origin. For over half of these conditions, the genetic cause remains unknown. We study genetics to ensure future generations are healthy. Murdoch Childrens has a long history of excellence in genetics research, with world-recognised achievements in the areas of chromosome disorders, mitochondrial and metabolic diseases, cancer, intersex conditions, musculoskeletal disorders, community genetics and screening and genetic therapy. Our research aims to uncover the genetic basis of disease and to understand the role genes play in the developing embryo. $1.4 million in donor funds was directed to genetics research in 2009, which led to 30 publications in the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top academic journals. $10.8 million was leveraged in funds awarded from the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

MCRI Annual Report 2009

Every year 50 Australian children will develop a mitochondrial disease, which destroys the cellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to turn food into energy. Most will die in childhood, but those who survive may have delayed development, seizures, heart disease or diabetes. Our research looks at the genetic basis of mitochondrial disorders. We also study how mitochondrial DNA mutations are passed from mothers to their children. Our research has led to world-first information on the effectiveness of prenatal testing and prevention, which has allowed affected families to have healthy children. In 2009, we were awarded NHMRC funding to test a new gene sequencing technology, which enables hundreds or thousands of genes to be analysed simultaneously, rather than one at a time as has been the practice previously. In collaboration with researchers in Boston, we have sequenced 100 genes in 100 children with mitochondrial disorders. This unique study is a first step to introducing this technology into routine medical testing to speed up genetic diagnosis and identify new genes causing these diseases.

Chromosomes give clue to health problems Professor Andy Choo is looking at the microscopic world of cells to answer big questions about child health. His team is studying the role of chromosomes in genetic diseases. Every human has 46 chromosomes and these are the structures that carry genes in all our cells. “We’re looking at a component of chromosomes known as the centromere, which is responsible for cell division and separation of replicated chromosomes,” Andy said. “If there is a defect in the centromere, it can cause abnormalities in cell division, leading to a variety

of clinical problems such as pregnancy loss, cancer and genetic diseases. We’re looking at what determines correct centromere function and how we can reverse abnormal function in these patients.” In 2009, Andy was awarded a NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellowship and elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in recognition of his achievements in genetic research. Dr Lee Wong, who is a member of Andy’s team, was awarded a NHMRC Career Development Award. The team also received a NHMRC Project Grant and published in Developmental Cell, Genome Research and PLoS Genetics.

Professor Andy Choo

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research priority

genetics More than 600 Australian children will be diagnosed with cancer this year.

In 2009, our team led by Professor Andrew Sinclair and Dr Craig Smith, discovered the gene that determines sex in birds. The finding, published in Nature, is a major scientific breakthrough that could lead to better understanding of how the process has evolved from birds to animals, including humans.

Professor Andrew Sinclair & Dr Craig Smith

When a child is born, the first question asked is, is it a boy, or is it a girl? In some cases the answer is not known.

SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT Around one in 4500 children are born with disorders of sex development (DSD) as a result of a breakdown in the complex network of gene regulation responsible for proper development of testes or ovaries in the embryo. Uncertainty about a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gender is extremely traumatic for the individual, parents and other family members, often leading to lifelong psychological and reproductive problems for the patient. Our research focuses on understanding how genes control testes and ovary development. This knowledge will improve the clinical management of children with DSD, and will provide insights into diseases that affect this and other organ systems.

MCRI Annual Report 2009

Professor Sinclair was also awarded a National Health & Medical Research Council Program Grant and received the Sutherland Award from the Human Genetics Society of Australasia for his contributions to human genetics.

CHILDHOOD CANCER The incidence of cancer in children remains unchanged, despite cure rates for acute leukaemia increasing from around 20 per cent in the early 1970s to almost 80 per cent today. However, cure rates for other cancers remain disappointing and little progress has been made in finding preventable causes. In 2009, A/Professor Paul Ekert and Dr Anissa Jabbour furthered research into a gene called Puma and its role in influencing cell death in cancer, with the results published in Cell Death & Differentiation. Our research aims to understand the regulatory pathways that balance cell proliferation, survival and cell death. Understanding the underlying biology of cancer will lead to more targeted therapies and increased survival rates. Murdoch Childrens is also leading a global study to identify environmental and genetic causes of leukaemia, see page 16.

Dr Richard Saffery and twins Imogen (right) & Tenille. Imogen had cancer at age four Photo © Newspix/ Richard Cisar-Wright

THE SYMPHONY OF LIFE Our genes are like the instruments in an orchestra. Just as instruments need musicians to play a symphony, our genes also need to be ‘played’ by chemical and other modifications known as epigenetics. Dr Jeff Craig and Dr Richard Saffery are studying these ‘musicians’ in the human body to find out how our environment, including stress and diet, can influence the way they ‘play’ genes from the time we are conceived, turning some genes up and other genes down. If we understand this process, we will have a better idea of how epigenetics affect our health. Our researchers are particularly interested in looking at the role of epigenetics in childhood leukaemia.

In 2009, our team, including Dr Nicholas Wong and A/Professor David Ashley, was awarded a NHMRC grant for this work. The team also received a $2.4 million Victorian Cancer Agency grant for a major Victorian study to look at how epigenetic disruptions can lead to the development of blood cancers including leukaemia. The study, a collaboration with The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Alfred Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, will also investigate how drugs can be used to target these epigenetic disruptions and improve treatment outcomes. In an unrelated study, the team was awarded funding from NHMRC to continue research into epigenetic differences between twins. The study is looking at how individuals with identical genes can develop differences, including diseases, independent of their DNA sequence. Professor Anne-Louise Ponsonby

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research highlights The Australian Early Development Index measures early childhood development in five key areas; physical health, social competence, emotional maturity, cognitive development and communication skills. The research will help communities, governments and policy makers pinpoint the types of services, resources and support needed to give children the best possible start in life. The project is a collaboration between the Federal Government, Murdoch Childrens, The Royal Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital and the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.

LANGUAGE & LITERACY

Murdoch Childrens is committed to making a difference to the health and happiness of babies, children and adolescents. Research discoveries made in areas other than our identified research priorities are also improving the lives of young people.

ADOLESCENT HEALTH A study published in Addiction found that moderated cannabis use in adolescent years is associated with reductions in cannabis use frequency and risk of dependence in young adulthood. This suggests a program to help adolescents reduce or stop their use would have long-term benefits. The research is part of a larger study looking at adolescent factors that shape health in adult life. The study participants were originally tracked as teenagers, but are now adults and are having their own babies. The study offers a unique opportunity to understand how the lifestyles of adolescents and young adults may influence the health and wellbeing of their offspring.

CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT Parents and communities are now better placed to prepare their children for school following the release of comprehensive and localised information about childhood development.

MCRI Annual Report 2009

Murdoch Childrens is undertaking a number of studies of language delay to determine the best ways to detect, prevent and treat these problems. In 2009 we were awarded significant funding from the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for an intervention program targeting children with language impairment. Several other projects were also funded. Dr Angela Morgan was awarded a NHMRC Career Development Award to study speech and swallowing disorders in children with brain injury. Up to 70 per cent of children with severe brain injury have a speech or swallowing disorder, leading to poor communication and literacy or impaired nutritional intake and growth. Angelaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research uses genetic and neuroimaging techniques to investigate the predictors and develop intervention programs and treatments. Dr Julie Green was awarded a NHMRC Postdoctoral Training Fellowship to look at ways of improving communication between parents, schools and earlyyears service providers such as kindergartens and childcare centres in disadvantaged communities.

One in 20 Australian preschoolers have early language delay, leaving them vulnerable to poor lifelong academic, social and economic outcomes.

Professor Sheena Reilly (right) with Inge Timmerman and her son, Olivier

STUCK FOR WORDS Getting words out can be a struggle for some youngsters. Our research shows 8.5 per cent of children stutter by the time they turn three – almost twice the rate previously reported. “Stuttering is associated with rapid growth in language development, most noticeably the combining of words into phrases and short sentences,” lead researcher Professor Sheena Reilly said. Persistent stuttering beyond the preschool years can lead to long-term problems including social anxiety, emotional distress and reduced employment prospects.

The study of 1500 preschoolers, published in Pediatrics in 2009, is believed to be the largest study of early stuttering onset to date. Sheena and her team will follow these children up to seven years of age to identify recovery rates during the preschool years, whether recovery can be predicted, and the emotional impacts of persistent stuttering. Professor Sheena Reilly was made a Fellow of the UK Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists for her contribution to speech pathology, particularly children’s speech and language development. The fellowship acknowledges outstanding achievement in the field of speech and language therapy.

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research highlights Around five per cent of Australian children receive an anaesthetic in the first few years of life, with most receiving a general anesthetic.

procedures. This is being adopted as the Victorian education program for emergency sedation in children. Our team has also studied new pain relief methods for children with broken arms and those needing a nasal feeding tube.

EFFECTS OF ANAESTHESIA

Increasing the capacity for clinicians to conduct high quality research is a key priority. Hospital clinicians are at the frontline of patient care and have a unique opportunity to identify problems and conduct research to improve treatments or develop new preventions.

Murdoch Childrens is leading an international study looking at the effects of general anaesthetics on brain cells and long term neurological development. The study will involve babies from hospitals across six countries â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Australia, New Zealand, UK, USA, Italy and Canada. 660 babies already requiring surgery to repair a hernia problem, a common issue for babies, have been recruited to the study. Surgical procedures will be carried out under either general or local anaesthetic, both of which are commonly used for this type of operation. The children will then undergo a neurological assessment at two and five years of age, to measure any difference between those who received a local, and those who received a general anaesthetic.

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT The emergency department at The Royal Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital provides urgent medical care to around 67,000 children and adolescents every year. The team also has a strong commitment to clinical research conducted through Murdoch Childrens, including pain relief, sedation, trauma, stroke and mental health. Led by A/Professor Franz Babl, the team has conducted multiple studies into the safest and most effective ways to sedate children during emergency procedures, with recent research showing a combination of agents including an inhalation anaesthetic known as nitrous oxide, to be a useful drug for sedation. A standardised sedation education program has been shown to lead to safe and effective

MCRI Annual Report 2009

HEART FACTS Heart disease is the leading cause of child death in Australia, accounting for one in three childhood deaths Up to 20 per cent of heart defects are gene-linked abnormalities. The cause of the remaining 80 per cent is largely unknown

Heart surgeon & researcher A/Professor Yves d’Udekem

GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM A/Professor Yves d’Udekem has taken thousands of young heart patients into his care during more than two decades as a cardiac surgeon in Australia, Belgium and Canada. A heart surgeon at The Royal Children’s Hospital, Yves is also a researcher at Murdoch Childrens. While some of his patients require only minor surgical procedures, others face an uphill battle of major operations to improve their health. Yves is currently studying the outcomes of one of these operations, known as the Fontan procedure, in which the blood to the lungs is redirected to bypass the heart in children with the most complex forms of heart disease. Since its conception 40 years ago, the procedure has given a lifeline to an increasing number of Australian children, allowing them to grow and enjoy a better quality of life. However, their long-term health prospects remain bleak.

“We expect most of these patients will develop heart failure or require a heart transplant within two to three decades of surgery,” Yves said. “Unfortunately, at the moment, there’s no future treatment plan apart from heart transplantation for these patients and there will not be enough donor hearts for them all.” “We’re establishing a registry to collect health information on all Fontan patients living in Australia and New Zealand to see how many develop heart failure and how quickly this happens. We hope this will help us determine future medical needs including heart transplantation to improve the life expectancy of these patients.” The study was awarded funding from the National Health & Medical Research Council in 2009 and will run in collaboration with all the centres of pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery throughout Australia and New Zealand.

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research highlights IVF study participants Karissa and Olivia

Council (NHMRC) grant in 2009. Murdoch Childrens will work with Melbourne IVF, Monash IVF Australia and the University of Melbourne on the project, which is expected to be completed in 2012.

FRAGILE X SYNDROME

While there has been extensive research into the health of IVF babies and children, little is known about their longer term health as they reach adulthood.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common cause of inherited intellectual disability, affecting up to 1 in 2500 people. The genetic condition can lead to behavioural and emotional problems, developmental delay and medical problems such as epilepsy and hearing problems. About one in 150 women are carriers of FXS. While a genetic screening test is available to detect carriers, little research has been done to look at how a person is impacted by finding out that they are a carrier. Our researchers were awarded a NHMRC grant in 2009 to study the experiences of women who have been tested, including during pregnancy, to understand the issues including informed decision-making, test uptake and cost-effectiveness. The findings will help to develop guidelines and policies about population genetic screening.

IVF BABIES FOLLOWED UP AS ADULTS

GASTRIC CANCER

In the three decades since the birth of the world’s first test tube baby, thousands of Australian couples have sought IVF treatment to conceive miracle babies of their own.

We are leading research into the causes of stomach cancer to help treat and prevent the disease. Stomach cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide, largely because the cancer is detected too late in many patients. The cancer can be caused by infection in childhood by the bacteria H.pylori.

Karissa, 18, and Olivia, 19, are taking part in a groundbreaking new study by Murdoch Childrens to compare the health of young adults born with and without assisted reproduction. Lead researcher A/Professor Jane Halliday, said the study would provide new information on the long-term safety of IVF. “There’s a huge gap in our knowledge of what happens to these children when they reach adulthood and this is something we need to look at, particularly with the increasing popularity of IVF.” The study received start-up funding from Melbourne IVF and The Jack Brockhoff Foundation, which led to the award of a National Health & Medical Research

MCRI Annual Report 2009

In 2009, our researchers, along with collaborators in Australia and Japan, published research in Gastroenterology showing that an immune system protein is responsible for driving stomach tumour growth in mice and humans. The finding could lead to early detection of the cancer and the development of new drugs to prevent the disease. Our research team is currently testing one such drug.

MUSCULOSKELETAL DISEASE Musculoskeletal disease is the second highest disease burden in Australia, resulting in health expenditure in excess of $4.7 billion annually. Professor John Bateman and A/Professor Amanda Fosang are among researchers at Murdoch Childrens studying disorders such as inherited bone and cartilage disease and arthritis, bone dysplasias, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and cleft palate and lip, to improve diagnosis and develop new treatments for patient care. Our research on the genetic causes of bone dysplasias, a group of disorders affecting the normal growth of bones, resulted in the development of a new diagnostic gene test. During 2009, 50 patients and family members were tested, with the number of tests expected to increase in future years.

Our gait research team created the first classification system for hip displacement in children with cerebral palsy, in collaboration with the University of Melbourne and The Royal Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital. Hip disease affects approximately one third of children with cerebral palsy. The classification system will help doctors determine the relationship between hip displacement and cerebral palsy, assess the outcome of interventions, and better inform other health care professionals including physiotherapists and surgeons about the childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s condition. Our musculoskeletal disease researchers were awarded six grants from the NHMRC in 2009. This included grants to look for genes causing cartilage disease, cleft lip and palate and to examine how joint cartilage is destroyed in arthritis.

A/Professor Amanda Fosang and Professor John Bateman

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students Dedicated to nurturing young medical researchers to develop the next generation of world-class scientists. We seek out the brightest science and medical graduates and provide them with training and facilities, support and mentorship and exciting research opportunities across a variety of disciplines. Students benefit from interacting with our senior scientists and clinicians and from opportunities to gain skills in leadership and communication. In 2009, Murdoch Childrens had 130 PhD students and 30 Honours students.

PhD student Sue Reid Sue Reid worked as a cerebral palsy researcher at Murdoch Childrens for eight years before deciding to commence her PhD. “While I already had a Masters Degree in Clinical Epidemiology, I knew that completing a PhD would give me the opportunity to work on my own research and also give me greater credibility as a researcher. Murdoch Childrens offers a supportive environment for PhD students. I have a great mentor in Professor Dinah Reddihough and access to the information and services I need to succeed.” Sue received a National Health & Medical Research Council scholarship in 2009. The prestigious scholarship supports outstanding Australian health and medical graduates early in their career so that they can be trained to conduct internationally competitive research. Cerebral palsy is caused by brain damage and is the most common childhood physical disability. However, in many cases, much is unknown about the cause or timing of the brain injury. Using Victorian Cerebral Palsy Register data collected from patients born between 1970 and 2003, Sue’s research aims to establish whether the incidence of cerebral palsy is changing over time. Measuring the long-term rates of cerebral palsy allows researchers to evaluate changes in medical management strategies.

MCRI Annual Report 2009

Fatimah Ahmad Hafad

Honours student Fatimah Ahmad Hafad Fatimah Ahmad Hafad undertook her honours project at Murdoch Childrens under the supervision of Dr Heidi Peters and Dr Nicole Buck, after completing her undergraduate degree in Science at the University of Melbourne. Her honours research project was on Methylmalonic aciduria (MMA), an inherited metabolic disorder in which the body is unable to process certain proteins and fats properly, causing vomiting, dehydration, weak muscle tone, tiredness and failure to gain weight and grow at the expected rate. Fatimah’s project investigated the effectiveness of delivering healthy liver cells to reduce the levels of toxic metabolites. It is hoped that this therapy could one day be used to correct the disease. “I chose to do my Honours year at the Murdoch Childrens because they offer a great range of genetics projects, but most importantly, I felt that the research was more likely to translate into clinical application due to the close collaboration with The Royal Children’s Hospital. This link is not available at other institutions, especially in the universities.” Fatimah is now back in Malaysia and plans to undertake her PhD in the near future.

achievement awards & fellowships ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

The Teamwork Award

The Institute’s staff awards formally acknowledge and reward high achievers, to motivate staff and promote awareness of the exceptional commitment of individuals to the values and mission of the Murdoch Childrens. The awards are presented annually in May at the Institute’s Annual Review.

Acknowledges the contributions of staff who work beyond their own position in the areas of events and staff engagement.

The Discovery Award Recognises excellence in research achievement for senior researchers, 10 or more years post doctoral. Professor Anne-Louise Ponsonby was awarded for her internationally-recognised research into the environmental causes of autoimmune conditions such as type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis.

Michiel van Werkhoven was honoured for his contributions to the Institute above and beyond his own professional obligation as a researcher. Michiel has participated in the FOXTEL Lap for the past four years, and was the Institute’s ‘team captain’ in 2008, helping the team raise $12,000. He also organised the official Institute-branded bike gear for riders, raising the profile of Murdoch Childrens within the community. Michiel van Werkhoven

The Rising Star Award Recognises up and coming researchers for their excellence in research achievement. Dr Harriet Hiscock received the award for her research into infant sleep and impact on post-natal depression. Her research has led to the roll-out of an educational program for maternal and child heath nurses through Victoria, which gives them the skills to help mothers with these problems.

The Innovation Award Recognises staff in research support or corporate services who have improved support for research and have demonstrated a level of creativity in their contribution. Narelle Curtis and Alyssa Jones from the PR & Development team were recognised for their progressive approach to engaging major corporate partners. The commercial marketing driven strategy builds value for both the corporate and Murdoch Childrens. The partnerships, with Kay & Burton and Snooze, will deliver $1 million in research funding as well as significant brand exposure.

Professor David Danks Scholarship Awarded in honour of Professor David Danks, the founding director of The Murdoch Institute, the scholarship recognises leading PhD and MD students and provides a financial supplement to their university scholarship stipend. University of Melbourne PhD student Pamela Martin received the scholarship in 2009 for her work on childhood eczema. Working with A/Professor Katie Allen, Pamela seeks to establish how common the condition is, what the risk factors are and if children with eczema are at increased risk of allergic reactions to foods.

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victorian clinical genetics services For the past 40 years, we have delivered a high quality genetic service that has provided expert genetic diagnosis, counselling and support to Victorians.

Victorian Clinical Genetics Services (VCGS) has been a highly sought-after centre for the training of geneticists, genetic counsellors and scientists, and a provider of genetic education to health care workers. The laboratories of VCGS Pathology have provided a range of specialised services including newborn screening, metabolic tests, maternal serum screening, and chromosome and molecular testing. The close interaction between clinical and laboratory services has enabled the introduction of new technologies and the effective translation of research into clinical practice.

it was also gratifying to reflect on the great contribution made by VCGS to the establishment of familial cancer services across Victoria. The loss of a number of VCGS staff also impacted on our capacity to provide other general genetic services, leading to a reduction in the number of clinics at some sites, however, the quality of service delivery was never compromised. I commend our staff for their professionalism in managing the change and this period of uncertainty.

Changes to cancer services From a clinical perspective, 2009 was a year of considerable change for familial cancer services in Victoria. Since the discovery in the mid 1990s of genes that predispose for breast cancer and bowel cancer, VCGS has played a central role in the development and delivery of familial cancer services. In 2009 the Victorian Cancer Action Plan was implemented, a component of which was the transfer of family cancer clinics from VCGS to Familial Cancer Centres housed within adult public hospitals. It was disappointing to see some of our valued clinical staff transferred to the Family Cancer Centres, however,

MCRI Annual Report 2009

VCGS Director Professor Agnes Bankier

1. PhD scholar and medical scientist Steven Nasioulas 2. Dr James Pitt & A/Professor David Amor 3. Genetic counsellor Lisette Curnow with daughter Sasha

line test for patients with intellectual disability and multiple congenital abnormalities. Our VCGS pilot study, as well as several other European and American studies, have shown that molecular karyotyping detects more than five times as many chromosome abnormalities than conventional chromosome analysis. Such is the power of molecular karyotyping that more than 20 new syndromes have recently been described in the literature, and more are expected. Interpretation of molecular karyotype results is a difficult and very important aspect of performing the test, and VCGS scientists and clinicians have specific expertise and experience in this area.

Recognising the value of VCGS

Over the past decade, public funding of genetic services has not kept pace with the growing requirements for service delivery. This funding gap was brought into focus in 2009 by increasing costs of employment. In late 2009, a governance and financial review of VCGS was undertaken by the Murdoch Childrens Board. This review concluded that VCGS adds considerable value to the Instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research. Moreover, the VCGS model of service delivery has unique advantages to the people of Victoria, provided that it can be financially secured. We are working hard internally and with the Victorian Government to ensure VCGS remains the cornerstone of genetic health service provision in this state.

Key staff changes in 2009

Lab developments VCGS laboratories continued to make great advances in translational research with the introduction of new genetic tests and continued delivery of unique services to the people of Victoria, Tasmania and nationally. Of particular significance, the VCGS Cytogenetic Laboratory played a key national and international role in the development of molecular karyotyping, a new form of chromosome analysis that collects up to 2.7 million pieces of genetic information from each patient. Molecular karyotyping represents the most significant advance in chromosome testing in the last 30 years, and has rapidly become best practice as the first

There has been a change of key staff within VCGS. Laurie Cox retired from the VCGS Board, and Brent Dankesreither has taken over from Anne Cronin as Chief Operating Officer. We thank Laurie and Anne for their enormous contribution. I have stepped aside from my role as Director and welcome my successor A/Professor David Amor. I have every confidence David, with the support of Brent and Terry Dwyer, will lead us to a bright new future. It has been a privilege to lead such a talented and dedicated group over the past decade. My sincere thanks for their support through this challenging year and every good wish for the next chapter.

Professor Agnes Bankier Director, VCGS

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corporate & scientific services I was very pleased to be given the opportunity in late 2009 to contribute to the important work of Murdoch Childrens. My predecessor, Anne Cronin, moved on from the role in October 2009 after giving almost 25 years of service to the Institute. On behalf of all those in corporate and scientific services I thank and acknowledge Anne for her significant contribution. She has left behind a solid foundation from which we will continue to improve. The mission of our corporate and scientific services team is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our researchers through support and excellent research resources, systems and processes.

We strive to maximise the time researchers spend performing research and work hard to ensure that they have all the resources they need to complete their important work.

In 2009, we were able to continue supporting the growing Institute without an increase in costs as a proportion of revenue. Moreover, thanks to the infrastructure support provided by the Federal and State governments, we ensure all donor money goes directly to research activities. Corporate & scientific services delivered and will continue to deliver in three important areas: providing more time for research, improving resources and services and delivering an excellent working environment.

More research time and better resources allows our researchers to be best placed to continue to make discoveries to improve the health and wellbeing of children. This not only provides the foundation of an excellent research environment to attract and retain the best researchers, it also maximises the financial investments made to research by donors, corporate supporters, philanthropic groups and governments.

MCRI Annual Report 2009

Chief Operating Officer Mr Brent Dankesreither

PROVIDING MORE TIME FOR RESEARCH

IMPROVING RESOURCES & SERVICES

There are many unavoidable processes and administrative demands that researchers are required to navigate to deliver successful outcomes, including managing budgets, hiring talented staff and completing reports for funding bodies.

Our grants office continued to work hard to support researchers to obtain grant funding through a variety of sources. Grant writing seminars, information sessions, mentoring and review processes all assisted in ensuring that our researchers were best prepared when making their applications for competitive grants.

Time taken to complete these manual tasks is time that could be devoted to research. Corporate and scientific services made great strides in 2009 to reduce this burden, with more programs and systems planned for 2010 to free up even more time. Highlights included the roll-out of online systems which have reduced time and paperwork, provided greater information and allowed staff to: • Access their salary and leave details via the intranet • View pay slips online • Apply and approve leave online (taking much time and paper out of the system) • See their costs and manage their budgets in real-time • Purchase stationery and IT equipment; and • Manage the end-to-end process of obtaining, processing and storing the growing volumes of bio-specimens stored at the Institute. The system also allows researchers to recruit study participants online, improving the efficiency of a complex task In 2010, we will continue to increase time for research by: • Expanding the online purchasing system to include laboratory equipment and consumables, the largest spend category after salaries • Rolling out a new online Information and Communication Technology (ICT) job tracking system to better measure and manage the high demand for ICT support by the researchers • Delivering a new online job request register for building and equipment maintenance to allow better prioritisation of job requests and to reduce the time elapsed from request submission to resolution; and, • Developing an online chemical database to allow researchers to effectively share chemicals and ensure full and appropriate inventory of such materials

Grants awarded to our researchers through the Federal Government’s National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) reached a record $24.8 million in 2009, compared to $17.3 million in 2008. A new mentoring program was used to prepare senior candidates for the NHMRC fellowship application process and resulted in two of our researchers obtaining Senior Research Fellowships. The program will be expanded in 2010 to include mentoring for mid-career researchers. With grant funding growing strongly, the redevelopment of our research facilities as part of The Royal Children’s Hospital redevelopment was a major focus for the engineering & facilities team. Much effort was spent on the design of laboratories and offices as well as managing the movement of around 100 staff without major disruption to allow building works to begin. Planning for the seamless transition from our existing building to the new building will be a major focus in 2010, in preparation for a move that will occur around December 2011. While we eagerly await the completion of the new facilities, much effort was required to accommodate the Institute’s growing researcher numbers. More than 100 staff were relocated to offsite leased offices, with 60 more to move in 2010 and the engineering & facilities team were busy with maintenance requests and the refurbishment of four labs and several offices. Servicing of laboratory equipment was moved to an in-house service, to reduce costs and shorten repair turn-around times, giving researchers greater access to their equipment.

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Our commercial translation area supports researchers to convert discoveries wherever possible into therapies in the market. During 2009, a diagnostic reagent was licensed to an overseas pharmaceutical company, a NHMRC development grant was obtained and work for a new rotavirus vaccine continues. Murdoch Childrens now holds 64 patents, with three patents granted in 2009. The scientific services team provides specialised research capabilities which are shared by all Institute researchers. The challenge for scientific services is to promote these services for use by outside organisations to increase the utilisation of these important investments. Going forward, the challenge will be to ensure that the types of services offered are current and relevant for evolving research needs.

DELIVERING AN EXCELLENT RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT

information system to more efficiently recruit staff and a relaunch of policies to promote employee satisfaction through initiatives such as flexible working options. Many of our improvements will be managed by our new Head of HR, Michele Gellatly, who brings extensive HR experience from the corporate sector to the role. Above all else, we are committed to providing a safe and supportive working environment to our researchers and staff. During 2009, the Institute made progress with its safety objectives and 2010 will see much activity and further investments in capabilities and resources to set new benchmarks in this important area. 2010 promises to be an exciting time for Murdoch Childrens and I look forward to reporting to you our progress again next year.

Murdoch Childrens aims to provide a positive and fulfilling working environment for its researchers and staff. In 2009, the Institute was recognised for the sixth year, as an ‘Employer of Choice for Women’ by the Federal Government’s Equal Opportunity for Women Agency. Only 111 organisations from across Australia received this recognition. The Institute was also named in the top 10 international places to work in a survey by The Scientist magazine, for the second year running. Academic institutions are ranked on employee satisfaction, working conditions, access to equipment and other work environment factors. An internal cultural survey showed that staff satisfaction was higher than average for other comparable workplaces. Our culture was viewed overall as “positive and friendly”. The survey also highlighted some areas of opportunity which we have begun to address, and has been the catalyst for efforts to further improve our business environment. Talent management and professional development will be a focus for 2010, to ensure we can continue to attract and retain the best researchers and staff. This includes implementing a new performance management framework to measure performance against the Institute’s goals, an online HR

MCRI Annual Report 2009

Mr Brent Dankesreither Chief Operating Officer

Our scientific services and research enabling teams provide expert assistance in the areas of microscopy, tissue culture, disease models, bioinformatics, biostatistics and new technology. SCIENTIFIC SERVICES Led by Dr Kerry Fowler, the team provides expertise and training in disease models, flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, genome resources, laboratory support, sequenom platform technology and tissue culture. In 2009 highlights included: • Establishing a new biobanking facility to store and process blood and body fluid samples from participants in research studies of juvenile arthritis, childhood obesity and type 1 diabetes • Hosting training workshops on sequenom platform and tissue culture technologies

CLINICAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT OFFICE Headed up by Dr Andrew Davidson, the team aims to increase the capacity for high quality clinical research on the campus by providing expert advice on study design, identifying clinical research needs and streamlining ethics and governance approval. Highlights in 2009 included helping clinicians to commence two new trials in the emergency department; one looking at fluid therapy for children with bronchiolitis, the other looking at pain relief for children with stomatitis.

CLINICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY & BIOSTATISTICS UNIT Led by Professor John Carlin, CEBU provides a range of training and methodological support covering study design, statistics and data management. With a focus on clinical and community based research and collaborative expertise, CEBU worked with more than 50 research groups from across the campus. Highlights in 2009 included: • Staff from CEBU co-authoring 53 publications • Professor John Carlin, A/Professor Susan Donath, Dr Obioha Ukoumunne and Dr Katherine Lee were co-investigators on six successful NHMRC Project Grants. Dr Obioha Ukoumunne was a co-investigator on a successful NHMRC Partnerships Grant • Professor John Carlin and Dr Katherine Lee obtained, with collaborators in the UK, a grant to develop methodology for dealing with missing data in large epidemiological studies • New initiatives in data management included appointment of a Data Management Coordinator and expansion of electronic data scanning capabilities

BIOINFORMATICS Led by Dr Katrina Bell, the Bioinformatics unit provides expertise in effective experimental design, analysis and statistical validation of complex biological datasets. This enables researchers in genetics and molecular biology to keep abreast of emerging technology and to remain competitive. In 2009 highlights included collaborating on 35 projects on topics ranging from leukaemia to musculoskeletal disorders and twin birth weight discordance and involvement in the University of Melbourne’s Department of Paediatrics Honours course.

AUSTRALIAN PAEDIATRIC PHARMACOLOGY RESEARCH UNIT Led by A/Professor Noel Cranswick, the unit conducts clinical trials to investigate the safety and effectiveness of prescription and over-the-counter medications. In 2009, input was provided to more than 20 clinical trials. We also provided expert advice for industry, the Australian Government and international groups including the European Union and the World Health Organization.

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financials at a glance of consolidated entity REVENUE 2008 ($M)

2009 ($M)

Government & other peer reviewed grants

34.65

38.78

Clinical services

16.96

19.01

Donations, fundraising & bequests

4.63

6.93

Finance income

4.62

3.26

Contract research & clinical trials

6.72

7.80

Other research income

5.57

5.85

2008 ($M)

2009 ($M)

Research expenditure

41.79

48.61

Clinical services

17.03

18.18

Fundraising

0.72

0.86

Admnistration

16.00*

5.98

Technical & scientific services

6.41

6.68

EXPENDITURE

*Includes $10.3 million of impairment loss on investment.

MCRI Annual Report 2009

WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM

WHERE THE MONEY GOES

Government & other peer reviewed grants Clinical services (VCGS)

48%

Other research income

23% Clinical services (VCGS)

Technical & scientific services 6% 8% 23%

10% Contract research & clinical trials 4% Finance income 8%

Analysis Research grant income increased 12.7 per cent from 2008 to 2009, as a result of greater success in grants received from the National Health & Medical Research Council. Gross donations, fundraising and bequest income reached a record $6.9 million, with growth in events, major gifts, corporate partnerships and corporate philanthropy income.

Administration

61%

Donations, fundraising & bequests

48 per cent of the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute’s income came from research grants. Income from the clinical services provided by the Institute’s wholly owned subsidiary Victorian Clinical Genetics Services (VCGS) contributed 23 per cent of income. Eight per cent of revenue was raised through donations, fundraising & bequests, vital for seed funding important new research initiatives. We thank and acknowledge the financial assistance provided by The Royal Children’s Hospital and the Victorian Government’s Operational Infrastructure Support Program. The Institute’s investment fund was affected by the global financial crisis of 2008 during the year, but recovered enabling it to continue to support the ongoing research initiatives of the Institute.

1% Fundraising

Research expenditure

The majority (61 per cent) of funds were spent directly on research activities including researcher salaries and research equipment. At seven per cent of total costs, administration expenses – including human resources and finance – continued to be well controlled despite significant growth of the Institute. An investment of eight per cent of costs was made to provide direct research support through technical and scientific services. The cost of raising funds remained at one per cent of total costs. 23 per cent of costs were incurred in running the clinical services provided by VCGS.

Analysis In line with the growth of Murdoch Childrens, overall expenditure on research and clinical activities increased by 11.4 per cent from 2008 to 2009. This increase was covered by the 11.9 per cent expansion of the Institute’s research revenue.

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Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and its controlled entities Income Statements for the year ended 31 December 2009 Consolidated

The Company

2009

2008

2009

2008

Revenue from research & clinical activities

71,435,286

63,654,538

52,423,105

46,694,023

Depreciation & amortisation

(3,996,910)

(4,277,216)

(3,717,663)

(3,926,294)

(75,445,595)

(66,820,688)

(57,548,109)

(50,143,247)

(8,007,219)

(7,443,366)

(8,842,667)

(7,375,518)

6,932,890*

4,627,779

6,932,890

4,627,779

Fundraising expenses

(857,813)

(718,246)

(857,813)

(718,246)

Net surplus obtained from

6,075,077

3,909,533

6,075,077

3,909,533

3,255,941

4,616,618

3,225,226

4,568,713

(49,009)

(10,129,640)

(49,009)

(10,129,640)

Net finance income/(expense)

3,206,932

(5,513,022)

3,176,217

(5,560,927)

Operating surplus/(deficit)

1,274,790

(9,046,855)

408,627

(9,026,912)

Other expenses for research & clinical activities Surplus/(deficit) from research & clinical activities Donations, fundraising & bequests

fundraising activities Finance income Finance expenses

* FOXTEL Lap income for 2008 was received and recognised in 2009

MCRI Annual Report 2009

Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and its controlled entities Balance Sheets as at 31 December 2009 Consolidated

The Company

2009

2008

2009

2008

CURRENT ASSETS Cash & cash equivalents

9,670,129

6,828,130

4,112,152

6,411,717

Trade & other receivables

6,911,399

5,899,353

5,090,837

3,653,568

Other investments

6,617,273

6,924,574

6,180,028

6,493,284

23,198,801

19,652,057

15,383,017

16,558,569

72,500

Other investments

91,281,002

80,941,152

91,281,002

80,941,152

Property, plant & equipment

16,225,593

19,612,261

15,948,652

18,963,687

total non-current assets

107,579,095

100,625,913

107,302,154

99,977,339

TOTAL ASSETS

130,777,896

120,277,970

122,685,171

116,535,908

20,614,974

18,578,021

19,466,506

20,839,346

Secured bank loan

478,576

496,320

478,576

496,320

Employee benefits

7,171,122

6,550,793

4,296,018

3,834,743

28,264,672

25,625,134

24,241,100

25,170,409

59,179,349

55,459,885

59,178,115

55,457,509

Secured bank loan

429,567

Employee benefits

972,567

1,069,845

753,960

768,033

total non-current liabilities

60,151,916

56,959,297

59,932,075

56,655,109

TOTAL LIABILITIES

88,416,588

82,584,431

84,173,175

81,825,518

NET ASSETS

42,361,308

37,693,539

38,511,996

34,710,390

Accumulated funds

7,372,487

6,097,697

3,523,175

3,114,548

Fair value reserve

2,756,347

(636,632)

2,756,347

(636,632)

400,000

1,973,647

Permanent investment funds

26,258,827

Building development fund

2,600,000

Fellowships & scholarships fund

1,000,000

42,361,308

37,693,539

38,511,996

34,710,390

total current assets NON-CURRENT ASSETS Receivables

CURRENT LIABILITIES Trade & other payables

total current liabilities NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES Payables

MEMBERS’ FUNDS

Capital reserve Special purpose funds

TOTAL MEMBERS’ FUNDS

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Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and its controlled entities Statements of Cash Flows for the year ended 31 December 2009 Consolidated

The Company

2009

2008

2009

2008

Cash flows from operating activities Patient fees received

11,253,355

9,240,149

Government and other grants received

46,317,456

45,334,880

38,777,998

35,150,882

5,325,551

3,447,966

5,108,508

3,247,966

390,071

1,369,066

359,356

1,321,161

Other receipts (including fundraising)

14,783,469

12,922,954

14,783,469

12,922,954

Cash paid to suppliers & employees

(70,277,060)

(62,092,886)

(52,665,278)

(43,531,191)

(49,009)

(90,323)

(49,009)

(90,323)

7,743,833

10,131,806

6,315,044

9,021,449

Investment income received

836,434

3,247,553

836,434

3,247,553

Proceeds on sale of PP&E

200,900

(3,530,080)

3,500,000

6,050,000

7,624,000

6,050,000

7,624,000

(714,877)

(2,555,955)

(702,627)

(2,434,865)

(10,826,980)

(16,646,159)

(10,821,025)

(16,646,214)

(4,454,523)

(8,330,561)

(8,167,298)

(4,709,526)

(447,311)

(405,997)

(447,311)

(405,997)

(447,311)

(405,997)

(447,311)

(405,997)

2,841,999

1,395,248

(2,299,565)

3,905,926

6,828,130

5,432,882

6,411,717

2,505,791

9,670,129

6,828,130

4,112,152

6,411,717

Donations & bequests received Interest received

Interest paid net cash provided FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES cash flows from investing activities

Advances to related parties Proceeds on sale of investments Acquisition of property, plant & equipment Acquisition of investments NET CASH USED IN INVESTING ACTIVITIES CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES Repayment of borrowings NET CASH USED IN FINANCING ACTIVITIES NET INCREASE/ (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS cash & CASH EQUIVALENTS AT 1 JANUARY cash & CASH EQUIVALENTS AT 31 DECEMBER

MCRI Annual Report 2009

government & competitive

grants We had a successful year securing government, national and international grants. These highly competitive grants are awarded based on the quality and significance of the research.

Government funding Murdoch Childrens was awarded a record $24.8 million from the National Health & Medical Research Council in 2009 for new initiatives commencing in 2010. Applications undergo a rigorous selection process based on scientific quality and significance and applicant track record. With approximately 20 per cent of applications nationally receiving funding, our result puts Murdoch Childrens researchers among the best in the country.

Federal Department of Health & Aged Care Health & Hospitals Fund National Health & Medical Research Council

State Department of Human Services, Victoria Department of Innovation, Industry & Regional Development TAC Health Research Group, Victoria Victorian Health Promotion Foundation

International competitive funding Murdoch Childrens was awarded a record $2.5 million in grants from international funding bodies, to support research into adolescent health and conditions such as Friedreichâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ataxia and allergies. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USA Eli & Edythe L Broad Foundation, USA Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, USA Friedreichâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ataxia Research Alliance, USA Muscular Dystrophy Association, USA National Childhood Cancer Foundation, USA National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, USA National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, USA National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism, USA World Health Organization

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Competitive grants

International & national funding for Friedreich ataxia research

Our research was generously supported by many charitable foundations, which provide peer-reviewed funding for excellent research. ANZ Medical Trusts Apex Foundation Arthritis Foundation of Australia Asthma Foundation, Victoria Australian and New Zealand Children’s Haematology & Oncology Australian Egg Corporation Australian Health Management Australian Rotary Health Beyond Blue Bone Growth Foundation Bonnie Babes Foundation Cancer Council Victoria Cass Foundation Cerebral Palsy Foundation Diabetes Australia Research Trust Equity Trustees Financial Markets Foundation for Children Friedreich Ataxia Research Association The Heart Foundation The Helen Macpherson Smith Trust Inner Wheel Australia The Jack Brockhoff Foundation L.E.W. Carty Charitable Fund Leukaemia Foundation of Australia Marian & E H Flack Trust Menzies Foundation Multiple Sclerosis Australia Nurses Board of Victoria Perpetual Trustees Pfizer Australia R E Ross Trust Rebecca Cooper Medical Research Foundation Royal Australasian College of Physicians Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Shepherd Foundation Sylvia & Charles Viertel Charitable Foundation Telstra Foundation Victorian Cancer Agency Victorian Medical Insurance Agency Victorian Neurotrauma Initiative

Murdoch Childrens was awarded almost $500,000 in international and national competitive grants for Friedreich ataxia research in 2009. The inherited condition, which is caused by a DNA expansion in the frataxin gene, is usually diagnosed in children and teenagers, with early symptoms including unsteady gait, jerky eye movements and loss of reflexes. Despite existing treatments including physiotherapy, speech therapy and some orthopaedic surgery, most people are confined to a wheelchair within 15 years of disease onset. Our research team was awarded almost $250,000 from the USA-based Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance and $10,000 from the Friedreich Ataxia Research Association Australasia (FARAA) to study the molecular and epigenetic alterations in Friedreich ataxia. We were also awarded $180,000 from Australian Rotary Health and funds from FARAA to develop gene therapies, which aim to deliver unaffected copies of the damaged frataxin gene to cells. Australian Rotary Health has a long-standing association with the Institute, having supported numerous research projects in recent years. “We are committed to providing grants for important medical and health research projects and we are delighted to support the work of Murdoch Childrens,” CEO Joy Gillett said.

1. Dame Elisabeth Murdoch with Friedreich ataxia patient Tamara

MCRI Annual Report 2009

“Friedreich ataxia affects hundreds of young people in Australia and research is vital to finding ways to improve the lives of those affected.”

mobile phone research to curb youth depression A world-first program that uses mobile phones to track the mental health of young people is being trialled by Murdoch Childrens thanks to funding from the Telstra Foundation in 2009.

while 81 per cent of their patients reported having a better understanding of their own mental wellbeing after receiving their doctor’s feedback,” she said. “Funding from the Telstra Foundation has given us the ability to launch this exciting project, which we hope will be rolled out nationally following trials.”

Developed by Dr Sophie Reid, the mobiletype program uses an electronic diary on a mobile phone to record the daily experiences of youths aged 14-24 including mood, stress levels, alcohol and cannabis use, exercise and eating patterns. Responses are sent to a database which evaluates and assesses each patient’s mental wellbeing and produces an individual report for doctors to help determine what treatment is required. Sophie said there had been a positive response to the program, which received $285,000 over two years from the Telstra Foundation. “Our initial results show doctors who use the program were better equipped to treat the mental wellbeing of more than 90 per cent of their patients,

L.E.W. Carty charitable fund – Helping to ease joint pain Murdoch Childrens launched a new project to help uncover the causes of juvenile arthritis after being awarded more than $80,000 in competitive funding in 2009. Juvenile arthritis is a common autoimmune disease in children, which leads to inflammation of joints, Juvenile arthritis patient Laura with mum Carmel Photo courtesy The Age

Dr Sophie Reid

causing pain, disability, and in some cases, abnormal skeletal development. Little is known about the causes of the condition including the influence of genetic and environmental factors. The project will collect data on children with juvenile arthritis and healthy children to determine the role of genetics and environmental factors in the development of the condition. Researchers hope this knowledge will lead to preventive strategies and better therapeutic management for patients. The project received seed funding of $40,000 from the L.E.W. Carty Charitable Fund, $25,000 from the Arthritis Foundation of Australia and almost $20,000 from Rebecca Cooper Medical Research Foundation Limited. “Arthritis is often thought of as an older person’s disease, but juvenile arthritis significantly affects the lives of many Australian children,” lead researcher Dr Justine Ellis said. “With the generous support of charitable foundations, we hope to provide new knowledge and improve clinical care for children.”

www.mcri.edu.au

special events The Institute’s special events represent a significant portion of overall fundraising income, with all funds going directly to life saving research. Our events are also important friend raising initiatives, introducing new supporters to the work of the Murdoch Childrens. Discovery Day More than 2000 people attended the ‘Get Active’ themed Discovery Day, held at Dame Elisabeth Murdoch’s Cruden Farm. The fifth annual event, which included performances by Hi-5 and Dora the Explorer, raised almost $100,000 for the Institute.

Committee Fleur Arnold, Jackie Bursztyn, Romy Bursztyn, Georgie Coombe-Tennant, Alix Fletcher, Victoria Gillespie, Kate Kavanagh, Jill Murray, Susie O’Neill (co-chair), Dahlia Sable, Ellie Smorgon (co-chair), Michelle Wenzel

Sponsors Herald Sun Leader Newspapers Kay & Burton Pulse Pharmacy RBS Morgans Mirvac Sonray Capital Markets Darling Park Winery Eastern Press Ed Dixon Food Design Royce Hotel Splitrock Spotlight

Major pro bono supporters Active Kidz Akarba Hire Alana Deutrom Anaconda Audio Visual Dynamics Australia Fair Organ Bexton Professional Bodycare Physiotherapy Briner Colgate Palmolive DJ Southwick Donna Hay FOXTEL Go For Your Life Goodman Fielder Gwenda Hance Healthy Aussie Kids Heinz Hi-5 Jazzmin & Friends Jump n Play Kevin’s Poultry Kez’s Kitchen Lonesome Mango Licks McMahon’s Butchers Mobile Playgrounds

Nourish Foods Playgro Police Pipe Band Rats of Tobruk Ready Steady Go! SES Frankston Snooze SOCCERWISE® Sports Screen St John’s Ambulance Supagas Wesley College Western Bulldogs Football Club

1 & 2. Children enjoying Discovery Day 3. Dame Elisabeth Murdoch with Hi-5

Donors 1 Sport Financial Management ALH Group BankWest Bexton Professional The Calvert-Jones Foundation Brandon & Davina Chizik David Gibbs & Susie O’Neill Top Dog Management Sam Smorgon

MCRI Annual Report 2009

The FOXTEL Lap

CEOs and staff from some of Australia’s biggest corporations turned up the heat as they took to the treadmill for the 2009 FOXTEL Lap, raising more than $470,000 for Murdoch Childrens. The fifth annual corporate treadmill challenge saw 145 teams complete more than 140,000 laps in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. We thank FOXTEL for making this national event a success.

Participating organisations AFG, Amcom Telecommunications, ANZ, Australian Football League, Avant Mutual, Bankwest, BDO Kendalls, Bendigo Bank, Blake Dawson, Boston Consulting Group, BSA Limited, Bunnings, City of Perth, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Comtel Corporation, Conrad Treasury, Crazy Johns, Deacons, Deloitte, Department of Trade & Economic Development, Downer EDI Engineering , Elite Fitness, Fitness First, FOX Sports, FOXTEL, Grant Thornton, Hamton, Hickory Developments, iiNet, Investec, Kailis Bros, Kay & Burton, KordaMentha, KPMG, Lavan Legal, Macquarie Group Limited, Maddocks, Marquette Turner, Merricks Capital,

Minter Ellison, Moore Stephens, Moreland City Council, Murdoch Childrens Reseach Institute, NAB, National Rugby League, News Limited, Nova, Oaks Hotels & Resorts, Peabody Energy Australia, Piper Alderman Lawyers, PPB, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Quest, RBS Australia, Rebel Sports, Red Bull, Rio Tinto, River Capital, RSEA, Rugby WA, SA Ambulance Service, Salmat, Sarina Russo Job Access, SCT Logistics, Selleys, SKG Radiology, Sportsbet, Spotlight, St George Bank, Steinepreis Paganin, Swift Networks, Swisse Vitamins, Telstra, UBS, Victorian Rugby, Virgin Blue, Viva Fitness, Westpac Banking, Wilson Group, Yates, Zobel

Most funds raised City

Team Individual

Presenting partner

Adelaide

Zobel $5090

Amber Tucker, Zobel $2870

FOXTEL

Brisbane

NAB $6575

Kerry Gillan, NAB $1690

Melbourne

Hickory Developments $14,741

Lia Georgiou , Hickory Developments $6535

Perth

Kailis Bros $ 6266

Sean Lee, RugbyWA $1722

Sydney

Murdoch Childrens $25,339

Sarah Murdoch, Murdoch Childrens $10,017

Sponsors Nova Deloitte Virgin Blue Fitness First Rebel Sport SCT Logistics

Pro bono supporters Alpha Zeta, Channel V Hits, The Fitness Generation, FOXSPORTS, FOXTEL Winter Olympic Channels, Inlink, LifeStyle Food Channel, Lion Nathan, Nat Geo Adventure, Sci Fi, Splitrock, Swisse Vitamins, The Comedy Channel, Tiro, TV1, The Weather Channel

Most laps run City

Team Individual

Adelaide

Murdoch Childrens Research Institute

Liliana Thomas, FOXTEL Andrew Jackson, Red Bull

Brisbane NAB

Julia Russell, KPMG Grant Coleman, NAB

Melbourne Kailis Bros

Penny Toumazou, BDO Kendalls Yared Tamesta, Kailis Bros

Perth

Nina Marshall, NOVA Mikey Kailis, Kailis Bros

Pricewaterhouse Coopers

Sydney RBS Australia

Laura James, Macquarie Group Michael Ljubic, RBS Australia

The team from Westpac

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Art for Science Artists, galleries and corporate Australia joined forces to support life-saving child health research at Art for Science. The biennial charity event brought together donated works from 48 contemporary artists, raising $430,000 at a cocktail party and auction at Nellie Castan Gallery.

Committee Prue Brown, Suzi Carp, Rohan Davis, Julian Dunne, Mardi Foreman, Jane Hayman, Alyssa Jones, Clark Kirby, Scott Livesey, Linda McNaughton, Sarah Murdoch, Christina Redlich, Lydia Schiavello & Ion Teska

Artists Peter Atkins, David Band, Angela Brennan, David Bromley, Andrew Browne, Jane Burton, Jon Campbell, Trevelyan Clay, DAMP, Emma Davies, Robert Doble, Michael Doolan, McLean Edwards, Emily Ferretti, Emily Floyd, Belinda Fox, David Griggs, Helga Groves, Melinda Harper, Bill Henson, Mark Hilton, Todd Hunter, Matthew Johnson, Kate Just, Ash Keating, Ildiko Kovacs, Sam Leach, Rhys Lee, Song Ling, Anthony Lister, Guy Maestri, Tim Maguire, Viv Miller, Geoff Newton, John Nicholson, Polixeni Papapetrou, Mike Parr, Sonia Payes, Stieg Persson, Wayne Quilliam, Shorty Robertson, Lisa Roet, Martin Smith, Joan Nancy Stokes, Simon Strong, Darren Sylvester, Michelle Ussher, Michael Zavros

Presenting partner

Major pro bono supporters

ANZ Private Bank

Alexi Glass-Kantor The Big Group Bloom Cosmetics Chapman & Bailey CHE Coolarook Dean Chernyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DJ Dimension Hayman Design Heathcote Estate KW Doggett Fine Paper Kailis Bros The Kirby Family Lavazza Leaf Lion Nathan Louis Roederer Champagne Nellie Castan Gallery Phaseshift Productions Placesettings Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Australia Southern Colour Splitrock Staging Rentals Teska Carson Transart Yabby Lake Vineyard

Major sponsors Audi Penfold Burwood Audi Doncaster Deloitte Kay & Burton

Sponsors Arnold Bloch Leibler Austereo CHE Gemba Icon Construction JR Group Maritimo OMD River Capital Village Roadshow Limited

Donors Debbie Dadon Linfox Michael Milstein Orloff Family Charitable Trust Spotlight Charitable Foundation Victor Smorgon Charitable Fund

Supporting galleries Anna Schwartz Gallery, Block Projects, Charles Nodrum Gallery, Darren Knight Gallery, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, John Buckley Gallery, Kaliman Gallery, Karen Brown Gallery, Karen Woodbury Gallery, Martin Browne Fine Art, Metro Gallery, Milani Gallery, Nellie Castan Gallery, Neon Parc, Niagara Galleries, Scott Livesey Galleries, Sophie Gannon Gallery, Sullivan + Strumpf Fine Art, Sutton Gallery, Tim Olsen Gallery, Tolarno Galleries, Uplands Gallery, Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation

1. Song Ling with his artwork 2. Luke & Rebecca Darcy 3. Jane Hayman, Prue Brown & Christina Redlich

MCRI Annual Report 2009

Charity Golf Day The fourth annual charity golf day was held at The Heritage Golf and Country Club, Yarra Valley. The St John course, although challenging, was thoroughly enjoyed by all 60 golfing enthusiasts who teed up to do their bit for child health. The day, presented by Charter Mason, was a success raising $21,000 for research. The team from Heritage Golf and Country Club was the overall competition winner, followed by the team from Sonray Capital Markets, and the Visy team in third place.

Presenting partner Charter Mason

Sponsors

Pro bono supporters Carmenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Coopers Brewery Great Golf Events Heritage Golf & Country Club Kelly Brook Wine Lifestyles Photography Sebel Reef House & Spa, Palm Cove Small Luxury Hotels of the World Splitrock The Sebel Heritage

1. Robert Kaye from Visy 2. The team from Hamton

Participating teams Canterbury Partners, Charter Mason, Hamton, Heritage Golf & Country Club, Kay & Burton, Nash Management Group, Macquarie Private Wealth, Piper Alderman, RBS Morgans, Sonray Captial Markets, Sportsbet, Teska Carson, Visy

Kay & Burton Sportsbet

The Stella Artois Portsea Polo The Stella Artois Portsea Polo drew 5,000 of Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social set to Point Nepean for a day of world class polo and the best food, wine and fashion. The event raised $85,000 through the sale of the official Portsea Polo caps and contributions made by guests at the Kay & Burton corporate marquee. 1. James & Susannah Calvert-Jones with Mark & Georgie Coombe-Tennant 2. Jason & Gabby Scillio 3. Enjoying the polo

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dame elisabeth murdoch

centenary circle Patron Dame Elisabeth Murdoch has made an enormous contribution to Murdoch Childrens over many years. In 2009, Dame Elisabeth celebrated her 100th birthday. To mark this special milestone and to acknowledge her many years of support, Murdoch Childrens established The Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Centenary Circle.

The appeal raised more than $260,000, which will form part of a lasting tribute known as The Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Fellowship. The fellowship will be offered to leading international researchers, who can share their knowledge and expertise to lead important research projects at the Institute.

From one philanthropist to another Having closely watched the growth of Murdoch Childrens over 25 years, philanthropist Louise Gourlay was only too happy to show her support for a fellow philanthropist when the Dame Elisabeth Centenary Circle was launched. “Dame Elisabeth has been a great inspiration to me and many other Australians,” Louise said. “I’ve been supporting Murdoch Childrens for a long time now, so I was delighted to honour Dame Elisabeth by joining the Centenary Circle.” Louise, with her late husband John and her family, have dedicated much of their lives to supporting the community through their generous giving to health, education and the arts. Louise, who also has had a long association with The Royal

MCRI Annual Report 2009

Children’s Hospital, was pleased to see money from the appeal would be used for a fellowship to attract leading international researchers. “The great strength of any organisation is the quality of its people. Murdoch Childrens has wonderful researchers, and the fellowship will lead to greater knowledge to improve child health.”

DAME ELISABETH MURDOCH CENTENARY CIRCLE members Martin & Toni Armstrong Katherine I Behrend Marc Besen AO & Eva Besen AO David & Karina Calvert-Jones James & Susannah Calvert-Jones John Calvert-Jones AM & Janet Calvert-Jones AO Mark & Louise Calvert-Jones Peter Clemenger AM & Joan Clemenger Leigh Clifford AO & Sue Clifford Laurence Cox AO & Julie Ann Cox The Dwyer Family Jane Fenton AM & David Miles AM Grant & Penny Fowler Lindsay Fox AC & Paula Fox The Gandel Charitable Trust Neilma Gantner Louise Gourlay OAM Peter Griffin AM & Terry Griffin Geoff Handbury AO Matt & Clare Handbury Bill & Rea Hodgson Julie Kantor Michael & Silvia Kantor Milan Kantor AM & Anne Kantor Robert & Mem Kirby KPMG Alasdair & Prue Macleod Michael Milstein Richard & Suzanne Morgan Lachlan & Sarah Murdoch The Yulgibar Foundation Rowly & Judy Paterson David Penington AC & Sonay Hussein The Poola Foundation Lady Primrose Potter AC The R E Ross Trust Lady Marigold Southey AC The Sunraysia Foundation

major donors Murdoch Childrens acknowledges the generosity of its major donors. MAJOR DONORS The Bachrach Charitable Trust Bone Marrow Donor Institute John Calvert-Jones AM & Janet Calvert-Jones AO Children’s Cancer Centre Foundation Collier Charitable Fund James & Claudia Craig Dr Andrew Davidson Dean Robert Winter Trust Lindsay Fox AC & Paula Fox Pamela Fraser Friedreich Ataxia Research Association George Castan Family Charitable Foundation Steven & Melissa Handbury HeartKids Australia The Helen & Bori Liberman Family Mark & Donna Howlett Julian & Caroline Hunt-Smith James & Vera Lawson Trust David Jenkins & Fran H Lefroy Jenour Foundation The Kimberley Foundation George & Joan Lefroy Marj Lefroy Lions Club of the Wholesale Produce Market The Miller Foundation Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC DBE My Room National Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre The Outdoor Education Group Rowly & Judy Paterson The Pratt Foundation Sam Riggall & Nichola Lefroy Rotary Club of Melbourne Pamela Sargood The Scobie & Claire Mackinnon Trust

SMILE Foundation Spotlight Charitable Foundation The Sunraysia Foundation The Tasmanian Early Years Foundation Thalassaemia Australia Professor Alasdair Vance Zig Inge Foundation

ESTATES & BEQUESTS Estate of Nance Elizabeth Creaton Estate of Brendon Murphy Estate of LI Roach

The Miller Foundation

Peter Griffin & Andrew Miller

The Miller Foundation has generously supported Murdoch Childrens for more than two decades.

Murdoch Childrens Director Professor Terry Dwyer thanked The Miller Foundation for their support.

Established by Noel and Olive Miller in 1964, the Foundation was invited by chair Laurie Cox to become a founding major donor of the Institute in 1986.

“We are very fortunate to have such wonderful supporters in The Miller Foundation, who take such a strong interest in all that we do,” Terry said.

That first generous gift has led to major donations every year since. Importantly, the foundation’s annual major gift is given untied, which allows Murdoch Childrens to distribute the funds to priority research areas.

“Their generous investment is vital to our success, and we greatly appreciate that they allow us to direct their gift to the most innovative and exciting research projects.”

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corporate partners Our corporate partners provide significant financial support as well as helping to promote the Institute and its work to the wider community. Funds committed from our partners are used to seed fund new priority research. Murdoch Childrens is committed to securing up to five mutually beneficial partnerships. Sleep well to help kids live well

Together we’re looking after your most loved assets

Snooze has joined forces with Murdoch Childrens and will invest a minimum of $450,000 to support life-saving child health research through the sale of every Simplee Kidz and Osteo Youth Support range bed.

Kay & Burton already has a reputation built on results for selling homes. Now they are also looking after the health of children through a significant long-term partnership with Murdoch Childrens.

The partnership is promoted nationally in Snooze’s 70 stores, as well as in radio and print advertisements. Highlights in 2009 included a major media campaign which saw the partnership promoted from Toowoomba, to Warrnambool and Rouse Hill, Sydney. The partnership was also promoted in Woman’s Day and on Mornings with Kerri Anne. Snooze Managing Director, Simon Beaty, says the partnership reflects a shared goal – the improved health and wellbeing of Australians. “Snooze is delighted to have a long-term partnership with Murdoch Childrens and to be aligned with an organisation that is committed to making the lives of children healthier, regardless of where they live,” Simon said.

MCRI Annual Report 2009

Highlights in 2009 included a joint marquee at the Portsea Polo, participation by the Kay & Burton team in the FOXTEL Lap and major billboards promoting the partnership. he partnership T has a high approval rating among Kay & Burton’s clients with 93 per cent backing Kay & Burton’s choice of charity, and 70 per cent saying it helps Kay & Burton stand out from its competitors.

corporate philanthropy Major corporate philanthropy

Major corporate pro bono

Caroma Dorf FOXTEL Ipsen Laiki Bank Macquarie Group Foundation Rio Tinto Aboriginal Fund Woolworths

Deloitte Fitness First Australia FOXTEL The Herald & Weekly Times Inlink Media KPMG Leader Community Newspapers News Custom Publishing News Limited NOVA Paperlinx SCT Logistics Servcorp Small Luxury Hotels of the World Splitrock Village Roadshow Films Virgin Blue

supporting clinical research A capacity building grant from the Macquarie Group Foundation is helping increase the amount and quality of clinical research on campus. The funding enabled the establishment of a Clinical Research Development Office to engage more clinicians from The Royal Children’s Hospital in research through Murdoch Childrens. The office provides support and advice to clinicians on research design and grant applications, helping to improve the quality and scope of research at the Institute.

GETTING THE FOXTEL LAP ON THE ROAD

In 2009, we recruited two new staff and provided additional training sessions and resources for clinical researchers. Pleasingly, clinical research on campus continued to grow, with an increase in the number of clinicians applying for funding and a tripling of competitive funding awarded to key clinical research areas.

Transporting 60 treadmills, a large stage and tonnes of event equipment from state to state, SCT Logistics provides over $40,000 worth of logistical services annually, helping to significantly reduce the costs associated with staging a major event in five cities.

SCT Logistics provides vital support for the FOXTEL Lap, the Institute’s biggest fundraising event.

“We are firm believers in the work of the Murdoch Childrens, and this is our way of helping,” said Raelene McKinnon, of SCT Logistics. “We have sponsored the FOXTEL Lap for three years now, and it has been great to see the event grow and grow – it means more funds for research to help kids.”

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donors Thank you to our generous donors in 2009* A

Steve Abbott Andrew & Shadda Abercrombie Paul Aberdeen & Nina Kirby Aberdeen Asset Management David M Abouav & Stephanie T Deeley Barry Abrahams Justin & Emma Abrahams Ace Radio Broadcasters Chris & Nandi Adams Janine Adams Roger & Lorraine Adams Matt Adam-Smith B Adgemis Stephen Adrian Indrajeet Aich MaryAnne Aitken Margaret Akram Robert Albert Maggie Aldred Simon Alessi Joel & Melinda Alexander Nicholas Alexander Saar Alfasi Jake Allen & Lynda Cheng Matt & Megan Allen Simon Allen Stephen Allen Elizabeth Altus K Amanatidis Betty Amsden Grant Anderson Ian Anderson Lynne Anderson Madeleine Anderson Mark & Shani Anderson Andre J Menswear Mark Andreatta Brett Andrews Aptus Seafoods Daniel Arapere Brett Archer Christopher Archibald Nick & Helen Argyrou Martin & Toni Armstrong Nick Armstrong Ian & Fleur Arnold Arnold Bloch Leibler Nigel Ash Judy Ashton Tony Ashton Nick Aspinall Astib Group Tina Atai

Joshua Athanasius James Atkins Scott Atkins Helen Atkinson Ron Atkinson William & Julie Attard Aussie Boat Sales Tania Austin Australian Pacific Touring Auto Care Software Adam Ayikol BL Ayre

Susie Babani Rose Babic Rahul Badethalav Hagen Bahnemann Marcus Bailey Ange Baillieu Antony & Sybil Baillieu Marshall & Judy Baillieu Richard & Jane Baillieu Malcolm Bain Andrew Baines Helen Bakoulis Michelle Ball Dennis & Di Balmer John D Balmford John Bambino Kevin Bamford Bamford Family Foundation Dominique Barazzone Luigi & Iole Barbieri David Bardas Andrew & Vanessa Barlow Irene Barnard Jenny Barnett Peter & Amanda Barnett Peter Barnett Stewart & Natalie Baron John & Rosemary Barr Andrew Barratt Andrew Barrelle Cormac Barry Kelvin Barry Martin & Anne Marie Bartlett Joel Bartley Mrs Barton Andrew Bassat Paul Bassat Esther Batchelor Justin Bates Tony Batinic Richard Baum

Michael Baumann Clinton Baxter Robert Bazzani Tony & Kate Beaconsfield Richard Beal David Beale Lyall Bear Jo Beat Elwyn Beatson Beaumaris Tuesday Bridge Club Beaver Brands David Beck Becton Property Group Tony & Robyn Beddison Aaron Begg Judy Begg John Begley Kristy Bekkers Greg Bell Miles Bellman Bendigo Bank Scott Bennett Melissa Bernard Sarah Bernhardt Bligh Berry Rebecca Berry Daniel & Danielle Besen Michelle Beveridge BGC Partners Australia Bicycle Victoria Bidvest Australia Mr & Mrs Billson Steven Birchall Bill Bishop Elena Blair Spencer Blake Joshua Blakey Block Projects Brian & Natalie Hamersfeld Bluey Day Foundation Brian & Helen Blythe Cliff Bodsworth & Cara Schwarz Igor Bogdanich Jacinta Boicos BoilerRoom Group Haaron Bokhari Paul Bolinowsky Ian Bollinger Julian Valmorbida & Amy Bongiorno-Valmorbida Darren Book Greer Borg Anne Bortolussi Jamie Botten

George Boubouras Joseph Bounader Margaret Bounader Aaron Bourke Sam Bourke David & Kate Bowes William Bowness Boxy Design Camilla Boyd Dragana Bozic Regan Branson Richard Brasher Veki Brdjanin Keiran Breckenridge Kristan Breedon Aislinn Breen Sarah Breen Greg Brindle David Briskin Keith Brodie Malcolm & Janet Brodie P Bronstein Stephen Brooker & Jeanine Leahy Ian Brookman Ian Brooks Errol C Broome Nick Broome Paul Brotchie Gillian Brotherston Rodney & Vanessa Brott Karen Brown Leisa Brown Nick & Prue Brown Robert K Brown TRJ Brown Jeffrey & Debbie Browne Leo Browne Stephen & Renate Browning Virginia Brumby BSA Duncan Buchanan Ian Buchanan Mark Buckland Hans & Sally Bufe Nick & Tracy Bufe Shane Buggle Kimberley Bunning Bunnings Peter Burch Dean Burford David Burges Glenn Burgess & Kathryn Johns Margaret Burnell Colin Burns

*Donations of $100 or more are listed. Government and competitive grants are listed on page 53 to 55, event sponsors, donors and pro bono supporters are listed on page 56 to 59, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Centenary Circle and major donors are listed on page 60 to 61 and corporate partners, major corporate philanthropy and major corporate pro bono donors are listed on page 62 to 63.

MCRI Annual Report 2009

Jude Burroughs Tim Burroughs Graham & Dana Burrows Anthony & Jackie Bursztyn Tim & Romy Bursztyn David & Christine Burt Chris Burton David Burton Lucas Burton David Bussau Matthew Butcher Angelo Butera Glen Butler The Butterfly Foundation William Buttigieg Bill Butts Andrew & Geraldine Buxton Dax Bykerk Claire Byron

Michael & Creina Cadden Paul & Karen Caelli Michael Caffery Doug & Linda Cahill Luke Cairney James & Susannah Calvert-Jones Rodney Cambridge Michael Camerlengo Angus Cameron Matthew & Melissa Cameron Robyn Cameron Camillo Della Maddalena Australia Cassandra Campbell Kevin Campbell Terry & Christine Campbell Tom & Georgie Campbell Jeremy & Krystine Canny-Smith Adrian Cappola Yvette Caprioglio Ruth Card Bob Cardell John Carew Peter Carew Marco Carlei Barry & Suzi Carp Bernard & Helen Carp Brandon & Nicky Carp Michael & Emma Carp Benjamin Carr Peter Carr Lisa Carrick Ian Carroll Andy Carter Richard Carter Stuart Carter David Cartwright Michael & Carol Casper Steven Casper & Ilana Wald Shanaz Cassim George & Freda Castan Richard & Sue Castan Neil Castles Bill Catacouzinos Denham Cathro Matt Catling Greg Caust Rod & Maureen Cavagna Alexander Chan Lily Chan Sam Chandler Aldila Chang

Spero & Kate Chapley Mark Chapman Michael Chapman Stephanie Charles Geoff Charnock Charter Mason John Chase Sainath Reddy Chenepalle Kenny Cheng Nathan & Camit Cher Dean & Tanya Cherny Paul & Sarah Cherny Tamara Chessells Jeanette Chesson Luke Chesson Denny Cheung Jeremy Child Brandon & Davina Chizik Justin Chong John Choureemootoo David & Marina Christov Christopher Chuck Keith Chui R Chuon Jenny Clairs Claringboldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Seafoods Andrew Clark Peter Clark Michael Clarke Mathew Cleeve Peter & Joan Clemenger Cheryl Clifford John Clifford Leigh & Sue Clifford M & C Clough CMV Foundation Brendan Coady Peter & Jill Coates Jamie Codling Sarah Coffey Emma-Kate Coggan Debbie Cohen Matthew & Lieba Cohen Ross & Fran Cohen Trevor & Heather Cohen Vanessa Cohen Rocco Colaci Rocco Colangelo Colby Southern Adam & Charlotte Cole John Coleman James Colgan Craig Collie Shayne Collins & Kate Kavanagh Stephen Collins Anna Collyer Commonwealth Bank of Australia Alison Compton Davina K Conn Shaun Connell Stephen Conrad Conrad Treasury Tina Constantinou Stelios Constantopoulos David Cook Peter Cook Mark & Georgie Coombe-Tennant Mark Coombes Dean Cooper Sam & Sophie Cooper

Anthony Coops Leandara Copini Amy Copley Coleta Corbett Harry Cormack Philip & Caroline Cornish Steven Cortese Andrew Cosh Gerard & Louise Coutts Liza Coviello Simon Covill Paula Cowan Andrew & Abby Cox Julius & Rachael Cox Laurence & Julie Ann Cox Nicholas & Caroline Cox Chris Coxhill Bob & Kay Craig David & Suzanne Craig James & Claudia Craig Peter Craig Shaun Craven Philip Crawford Terence Creasey John & Joy Crennan Wayne & Eileen Crewes Glynn Cribb Tim Croagh Chris Croker Thomas Cronin Nick Croom Joseph Cross Patricia Cross & Paul Meadows Stephen Crowe Garry & Amanda Crowhurst Philip & Amy Crutchfield Dame Grace Cuming Andrew Cummings Lynn Cummings Liam Cummins Elizabeth M Cunningham Nick Cunningham Rosanne Cunningham Lisette Curnow Geoff Curran Allan & Lorraine Curtis Jeff Curtis Narelle Curtis & Nick Tyshing Sean & Melissa Cussell

Bruno Da Prato Steve Da Rui Joe Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Agostino Susan Daniell Brent & Janine Dankesreither June Danks Luke & Rebecca Darcy Toby Darvall Camilla Davey Adrian Davidson Natasha Davidson Ian Davies Karen Davies Lyn Davies Pamela Davies Pete Davies Tony Davies Adam & Nicole Davis James & Robyn Davis Jonathan & Briely Davis Julie Davis Rohan & Monique Davis

Rohan & Sophie Davis Tom Davis Tony Davis Debbie Davut Katrina Dawson Colin Day Chris de Campo Richard & Sarah de Crespigny Anthony de Leede Colin & Michelle De Lutis Simon de Winter David & Kristene Deague Deague Family Kathy Debattista Janez Debevec Ed & Helen Delany Gerald Delany Anthony Del-Grande Hugo Bezerra Dellermay Deloitte Stephanie Dempsey Grant Dennis Katharine Derham-Moore Chris Deutscher Hugo Devlin Laura Devlin Chris Dewhurst DFS Equities Fiorella Di Santo Dolrech Dias Joe Dicks Ross Dickson Jason Diiulio Anthony Dijanosic Edwina Dillon Matt Dimattina S Dimotakis Ross Dimsey Arthur & Christine Dines Brenton Dines Ian Dinnison Naush Dinshaw Shane Ditcham Jonathan Dixon Kevin Dobry Greg Dodds Matthew & Helen Doig William Dokter Peter Dollin Don KRC Alan Donald Anne Donkin Julia Donohue Bill Donovan John Dowling Michael Dowling James Downey Julie Downie Mark Downie Sharon Downie Christina Doyle Tony Doyle Madeleine Drake Chris Drennan Twain Drewett Mark Drummond Simon Duffy Steven Duggan Carl Dumbrell Kimi Duncan Robert Dunlop Dunlop & Pitson Earthmoving Tristan Durie

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Gregg Dwyer Terry & Jeanine Dwyer Amanda Dyer

Frazer East & Sophie Gannon Michelle Eastwood Marnie Eden Chris Edmonds Stefan Edselius Anne Edwards Peter & Monica Edwards Efron Family Foundation Jacinta Efthim Katrina Efthim Ega Corporate Advisers Aubrey James Egan Colin Egan Mathew Eggins EGO Group Elite Sports Properties Rita Elkazzi Michael Ellenby Liesl Ellies Rodger & Gwen Elliot Alan Elliott & Ondine Childs Andy Ellis Raewyn Ellis-Doff Robert & Patricia Ellis-Jones Nick & Belinda Elmore Ross Elsted Embelton Constantinos Emmanuelle Stephen & Rebecca Emmerson Dominic Emmett Katherine Engelbert Entourage Hair Beauty Laser Arif Erdash Oliver Escott Belinda Evans David & Jeanie Evans David Evans Kathryn Evans Matthew Evans Sarah Evans Marguerite Evans-Galea

Bruce Fadelli Ilario Faenza Deirdre Farfor Danielle Farmer Tim & Melanie Farrell Cliff & Jan Farrow Bill & Janne Faulkner Paul Favretto Joseph Fedele Ken & Lisa Fehily Judith Feiglin Simon & Sandra Feingold Marc & Dielle Felman Kerry Ferguson Tony Ferguson Mark Fewings Georgie Fidge John Field Mal Fielding Frank & Irene Filippone V & M Filippou Angelo Filladites Alane Fineman Michael Firmin Vann & Beata Fisher

John Fisher-Stamp Barry & Helen Fitzgerald Carl Fixter Glynn Flaherty Tim Fleming Nick Flett The Flew Foundation James & Siobhan Flintoft Flossy Said So Flower and Hart Lawyers Melanie Flynn Focal Promotions Brendan Foley Clinton Forbes Dean & Jenny Ford Mark Forde Andrew & Mardi Foreman Sally Forrester Lauren Fossett C Foufoulas Michael Fowler Andrew & Fiona Fox Andrew Fox Mandy Fox FOXTEL Carlo Franchina Pauline Francis Neil Fraser Rawls & Mary Frazier Belinda Frenkel Simon & Mia Frid Kathy Friend Jillian Fryer Brett Fullarton Jodi Fullarton-Healey Ryan Fuller Samuel Fung Richard Funston Alex & Liz Furman Sam & Sarah Furphy Nicholas Fyffe

Galhill Mark Gallagher Tony & Helen Gandel Justin & Georgia Ganly Anneliese Gannon Michael & Helen Gannon Neilma Gantner Kelly Gard Ross & Judith Gardner Anthony & Mary Garnett Bruce & Elisabeth Garratt Adam Garrisson Tim Gaspar Gates Australia Helen Gazal Laura Gazal Dean Gazelle Andrew Gazos Theo Gazos Fetter Gdanski David Gelb Sylvia Gelman AM MBE Pino & Linetta Gelsi Raphael & Fiona Geminder Norman & Jillian Gengoult Smith A Georgantas Matthew George Kristina Georges Eftihia Georgiou Irene Giakoumis

MCRI Annual Report 2009

Jeremy Gibb Ben Gibson Charles Gibson John & Susanna Gibson Michael Gibson Peter Gibson Matthew Giles David & Victoria Gillespie Elissa Gillett Gwynneth Gilligan Trevlyn Gilmour Nigel & Leora Givoni Theresa Glab Jeff Glass Ivan Glavas Nicole Gleeson Quinton Gleeson Des & Tamara Glynn GMB Electrics Barbra Godfrey Ronny & Annette Goldberg Tal & Victoria Goldman John Golsby John Gomo Paul Goncharoff Bill & Joan Gooch Philip H Goodman Richard & Annie Goodrich Kevin Goodwin Stuart & Marion Gooley Stuart Gordon Jill Gould Noel & Marlene Gould Hugh Graham Mark Graham Geoff Granger Granger Transport Angela Grassy Jamie & Rebecca Gray Matthew Gray Peter Gray James Green Warren Green Peter H Greenham Matthew Greenslade Geoff Greer Dave Greiner Renee Greiner Peter & Terry Griffin Nathan Griffith Rosemary A Griffith Allan & Gillianne Griffiths Fred & Alex Grimwade Bree-Anna Grindlay Susan Grindlay Tony Grist Michael & Dalia Gross Andrew Guild Rupert Guinness Shweta Gupta Ronald Guthrie Felipe Gutierrez-Alva Wendy Gwyn

Nicholas Haddad Duncan Haig Stephen & Jane Hains Michael & Jackie Haintz Sandra Hale Peter Haley & Danni Hosking-Haley Maurice E Hall

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MCRI Annual Report 2009

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Michael & Vanessa Herskope Louis & Janet Stuk

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In memory of Daisy Bartlett

Carwatha College

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In memory of Hope Brook Neil

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In memory of Joanne Calderone

Nancy Calderone & family Angela Ciccarelli Vince & Cathy Cicciarelli Rocco Colombo & Family Carmelo & Claudia Cunsolo Gina Indovino Graham & Diana Karlson Anna Korina Antonio & Guiseppina Lenzi G Mammore Tracie McDew Rocco Musico Carmela Paiano & family Guiseppe & Tina Paiano Lino & Rosa Pardo Tony & Mary Pirrone Giuseppina Punteri Despina Radis Sam & France Sarlo Bruno Scarcella Gerald & Maria Veneziano Elena Ventieri Joe Vespucci Vito & Rosa Vinci

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Brave Hearts I & D Price

In memory of Matthew Paikos Maria Paikos

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S W Clark Colin & Ruth Hayter Nina Jensen Rod & Barbara Schild Stephen & Diane Wells Marden Senior College St Marks Lutheran Ladies Guild

In memory of Ross Kennedy & Lisa Hacker Nancy Zalusky Berg Cheryl Hepfer

In memory of Ruby (Leahy) Brooker

JG Curtis Saskia Fischer Valerie Fowler William Fowles Jennifer Gray Herbert Geer Gary Metcalf Kenneth Ryde Vicki Sharp Robert Sherman Samantha Smith

Babyology Bub Hub Cavill + Co John Calvert-Jones & Janet Calvert-Jones Grant Samuel & Associates Hello Babe The Herald & Weekly Times Hub Group Anne Kantor Leader Community Newspapers Love & Lustre Mum Zone Mum’s Grapevine My Child Magazine Rowly & Judy Paterson

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MCRI Annual Report 2009

Sisters Holly (right) and Penny Photo courtesy Riverine Herald/Jenna Natalizio

The importance of child health research is close to home for 12 year old Holly, whose sister Penny, 14, suffers from a rare chromosomal disorder. Penny’s condition, diagnosed last year, affects her growth and cognitive abilities. Holly has since raised more than $600 for chromosomal disorders research at Murdoch Childrens. “Penny has visited Murdoch Childrens many times and I read on the internet that they needed more money, so I decided to do some fundraising to help other children,” Holly said. Mum Cindy said the family waited 13 years for Penny’s condition to be diagnosed. “Research for us has helped unlock the unknown and we hope that other families can also benefit from the amazing work that Murdoch Childrens does,” Cindy said.

TOMORROWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CURES NEED YOUR DONATIONS TODAY You have the power to help the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute save kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lives. With your support, our researchers can continue to discover cures for conditions including diabetes, cancer, allergies, premature birth, obesity and genetic conditions. If we all work together, our children can look forward to a happy, healthy future. Donate today. Phone 03 8341 6362 or visit www.mcri.edu.au.

Thank you to the following organisations who generously assisted in the production of this report.

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